NLRP3 inflammasome and development of diabetic cardiomyopathy / 中国药理学通报

Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM) is a specific cardiac complication of diabetes, which occurs independently of coronary artery disease, hypertension or valvular heart disease. Although diabetic cardiomyopathy is increasingly recognized, the underlying mechanisms are still under controversial. Recently, the putative pathological mechanism involves hyperglycemia, protein nonenzymatic glycosylation, oxidative stress, abnormal calcium ion transport, etc. Inflammation is an independent risk factor for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. NLRP3 inflammation is the most common inflammasome, which can secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-18, and mediate pyroptosis after activated. It manifests a high level of NLRP3 inflammasomes in DCM animal model, which aggravates the damage of pancreatic β-cell function, myocardial injury and the process of myocardial fibrosis. It has been confirmed that Chinese herbal medicine can affect the initiation and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, as well as the expression of downstream genes, and then improve the cardiac function of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In this paper, we have summarized the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasomes in the process of diabetic cardiomyopathy and the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicine.

Study on the anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel mixed micelle by using in vivo optical imaging technique / 药学学报

In vivo tumor imaging technique method based on bioluminescence principle was established to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel mixed micelle (PMM). MDA-MB-231 tumor cells with luciferase reporter vectors were firstly implanted into nude mice, and subsequently the luciferase substrate was regularly injected during intraperitoneal administration of PMM. Then the tumor size, growth and the intensity of light signals were monitored with in vivo imaging technique. The method of luciferase tumor in vivo imaging could be real-time, reliable and exact in labeling and reflecting the growth of tumors, and the observed results were consistent with that by conventional method, so it would be a feasible approach to study anti-tumor effect of drugs. The anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel mixed micelle was observed by this method, and the results showed that this formulation could inhibit growth of tumor, and the anti-tumor rate of it was about 85%.

Screening of antidepressant fractions of banxia houpu decoction / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen the antidepressant fractions of Banxia Houpu Decoction.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Behavioral despair models in mice were used to evaluate antidepressant activities and the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in regions of animal brains were determined with spectrophotofluoremetry method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The extract of Banxia Houpu Decoction (AE) and its four fractions were able to elicit time-dependent reducing of duration of immobility in the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test in mice. Among these test samples, AE, petrol fraction (AE-1) and water soluble fraction (AE-4) were more potent, but there was no significant difference between them. AE significantly increased 5-HT level in mice striatum and NE level in mice cortex, respectively, and did not affect any monoamine neurotransmitters in other regions of animal brain. AE-1 elevated 5-HT level in the striatum and the NE and DA level in the cortex, chloroform fraction (AE-2) only significantly increased DA level in cortex.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Banxia Houpu Decoction has antidepressant effect. The active parts are in AE-1 and AE-4. The antidepressant action of Banxia Houpu Decoction is probably by mediated in part through many monoamine neurotransmitter systems.</p>