Discovery of biomarkers related to abnormal lipid metabolism in liver and serum and intervention mechanism of ginsenoside Rb_1 in hyperlipidemia rats based on non-targeted metabolomics / 中国中药杂志

Through the non-targeted metabolomics study of endogenous substances in the liver and serum of hyperlipidemia rats, the biomarkers related to abnormal lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemia rats were found, and the target of ginsenoside Rb_1 in improving hyperlipidemia was explored and its mechanism was elucidated. The content of serum biochemical indexes of rats in each group was detected by the automatic biochemical analyzer. The metabolite profiles of liver tissues and serum of rats were analyzed by HPLC-MS. Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were used to compare and analyze the metabolic data in the normal group, the hyperlipidemia group, and the ginsenoside Rb_1 group, and screen potential biomar-kers. The related metabolic pathways were further constructed by KEGG database analysis. The results showed that hyperlipemia induced dyslipidemia in rats, which was alleviated by ginsenoside Rb_1. The non-targeted metabolomics results showed that there were 297 differential metabolites in the liver tissues of hyperlipidemia rats, 294 differential metabolites in the serum samples, and 560 diffe-rential metabolites in the hyperlipidemia rats treated by ginsenoside Rb_1. Perillic acid and N-ornithyl-L-taurine were common metabolites in the liver and serum samples, which could be used as potential biomarkers for ginsenoside Rb_1 in the improvement of hyperlipidemia. As revealed by pathway enrichment in the liver and serum, ginsenoside Rb_1 could participate in the metabolic pathway of choline in both the liver and serum. In addition, ginsenoside Rb_1 also participated in the ABC transporter, alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamate metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, β-alanine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, caffeine metabolism, valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, and methionine and cysteine metabolism to improve dyslipidemia in rats.

Protective effects of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 against cognitive impairment induced by simulated microgravity in rats / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Microgravity exerts several negative effects on the learning and memory of astro-nauts during space flight.Rg1 and Rb1,the key steroidal components of ginseng,have shown potent neuroprotec-tive effects with a high safety profile.The object of the current study is to investigate the influence of Rg1 and Rb1 on simulated microgravity-induced memory and learning dysfunction in the hindlimb suspension(HLS)rat model.METHODS The HLS rats were orally administered Rg1(30 and 60 μmol·kg-1)or Rb1(30 and 60 μmol·kg-1)for four weeks.The Morris water maze test(MWM)and reward operating conditioning reflex test(ROCR)were conducted to evaluate spatial and associative learning and memory.After the behavior tests,the serum and the prefrontal cortex(PFC)were dissected to measure the mechanism.RESULTS Rg1 and Rb1 treatment amelio-rated the cognitive deficits of HLS-exposure rats in MWM and ROCR,reduced reactive oxygen species generation and increased antioxidant enzyme activity.Rg1 and Rb1 also assisted in the recovery of mitochondrial complex Ⅰ(NADH dehydrogenase)activities and Mfn2,and decrea-sed Drp-1 expression.Furthermore,Rg1 and Rb1 reduced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and the expression of cleaved-cas-pase 3,cytochrome c,increased the levels of SYN,PSD95 and activated BDNF-TrkB/PI3K-Akt pathway in the PFC.CONCLUSION Rg1 and Rb1 treatment attenuated cog-nitive deficits induced by HLS,mitigated mitochondrial dysfunction,attenuated oxidative stress,inhibited apopto-sis,and increased the synaptic plasticity,which was partly mediated by the modulation of the BDNF-TrkB/PI3K-Akt signaling.

Lack of methylation changes in GJB2 and RB1 non-coding regions of cochlear implant patients with sensorineural hearing loss

Objective@#Recent advances in epigenetic studies continue to reveal novel mechanisms of gene regulation and control, however little is known on the role of epigenetics in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in humans. We aimed to investigate the methylation patterns of two regions, one in RB1 and another in GJB2 in Filipino patients with SNHL compared to hearing control individuals. @*Methods@#We investigated an RB1 promoter region that was previously identified as differentially methylated in children with SNHL and lead exposure. Additionally, we investigated a sequence in an enhancer-like region within GJB2 that contains four CpGs in close proximity. Bisulfite conversion was performed on salivary DNA samples from 15 children with SNHL and 45 unrelated ethnically-matched individuals. We then performed methylation-specific real-time PCR analysis (qMSP) using TaqMan® probes to determine percentage methylation of the two regions. @*Results@#Using qMSP, both our cases and controls had zero methylation at the targeted GJB2 and RB1 regions. @*Conclusion@#Our study showed no changes in methylation at the selected CpG regions in RB1 and GJB2 in the two comparison groups with or without SNHL. This may be due to a lack of environmental exposures to these target regions. Other epigenetic marks may be present around these regions as well as those of other HL-associated genes.

Inhibition of ginsenoside Rb 1 on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal tubular epithelial cells by regulating TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of ginsenoside Rb 1（G-Rb1）on epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）of renal tubular epithelial cells and its potential mechanism. METHODS The growth factor β1（TGF-β1）10 ng/mL was used to induce EMT of human renal tubular epithelial cells HK- 2. The morphological changes of HK- 2 cells were observed after treated with 10， 20，30 μmol/L G-Rb1 for 48 h. The transcriptional activities of biovector SBE in human embryonic kidney cell HEK 293 were determined after 24 h treatment with 1.0，2.5，5.0，10，20，30 μmol/L G-Rb1. Effects of above concentration of G-Rb 1 on the viability of HK- 2 cells were determined after 24 h of treatment. mRNA expressions of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA），collagen Ⅰ （COL-Ⅰ）and fibronectin （FN）in HK- 2 cells were detected after treated with 10，20，30 μmol/L G-Rb1 for 24 h. The expressions of α-SMA，Smad3，p-Smad3，COL-Ⅰ，FN and E-cadherin were detected after treated with 10，20，30 μmol/L G-Rb1 for 24 h. RESULTS G-Rb1 of 10-30 μmol/L significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced EMT in HK- 2 cells and the increase of transcriptional activities of biovector SBE induced by TGF-β1（P＜0.05），but had no effects on relative activities of HK- 2 cells（P＞0.05）. The protein and mRNA expressions of α-SMA，COL-Ⅰ and FN ， the protein expressions of Smad 3 and p-Smad 3 were significantly up-regulated induced by TGF-β1（P＜0.05），while the protein expression of E-cadherin was significantly down- regulated（P＜0.05）；G-Rb1 could effectively reverse aboveprotein or mRNA expressions. CONCLUSIONS G-Rb1 can protect renal tubular epithelial cells from EMT induced byxiezhishen TGF-β1 to a certain extent ，which may be related to inhibiting the activation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Protective Effect of Ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 Against Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Vitro / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 on the release of inflammatory factors of human myeloid leukemia monocytes （THP-1） induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and their protective effects on the inflammatory injury of intestinal epithelial cells （Caco-2） induced by THP-1 cell activation based on the co-culture system of THP-1 and Caco-2. MethodFirstly，the microfluidic chip of co-culture of THP-1 and Caco-2 cells was prepared. In the experiment， a blank group， an LPS group， and drug intervention groups were set up.The cells in the blank group were cultured conventionally. In the LPS group，LPS （1 mg·L-1） was added to the lower THP-1 cells after the upper Caco-2 cells formed a monolayer barrier. On the basis of the LPS group， 33 mg·L-1 ginsenoside Rg1 and 33 mg·L-1 ginsenoside Rb1 were added to THP-1 cells respectively. After the co-culture of THP-1 cells and Caco-2 cells for 24 hours， the fluorescein isothiocyanate （FITC）-Dextran fluorescence value in the lower chip channel was detected by FITC-Dextran tracer method. A blank group， an LPS group，and drug intervention groups were set up in the THP-1 cell experiment. THP-1 cells in the blank group were cultured conventionally. In the LPS group， LPS （1 mg·L-1） was added to THP-1 cells.Ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 of the corresponding doses （11，33，100 mg·L-1） were added to the drug intervention groups respectively on the basis of the LSP group. After 24 hours of cell culture， the activity of THP-1 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α of THP-1 cells. A blank group， an LPS group， and drug intervention groups were set up in the Caco-2 cell experiment. Caco-2 cells in the blank group were cultured conventionally， and in other groups， the corresponding cell supernatant in the second part of the THP-1 cell experiment was employed in Caco-2 cells. After 24 hours of cell culture，the activity of Caco-2 cells was detected by CCK-8. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of IL-6，interleukin-8 （IL-8）， TNF-α， and Occludin of Caco-2 cells. The expression of tight junction protein Occludin in Caco-2 cells was detected by Western blot. ResultBoth ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 could effectively protect LPS-induced intestinal epithelial barrier permeability in the co-culture system of THP-1 and Caco-2 cells （P<0.01）. Ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 antagonized LPS-induced increased expression of IL-6，IL-1β， and TNF-α in THP-1 cells （P<0.05）. When the supernatant of THP-1 cells treated with ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 was co-cultured with Caco-2 cells， the expression of IL-6，IL-8， and TNF-α in Caco-2 cells was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， and the expression of tight junction protein Occludin was up-regulated. ConclusionIn the co-culture system of THP-1 and Caco-2 cells simulating the intestinal epithelial barrier function in vitro，ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 play a protective role against LPS-induced intestinal epithelial barrier injury by regulating the release of inflammatory cytokines by THP-1 cells， thereby regulating the inflammatory response and cell barrier integrity of Caco-2 cells.

In Vitro Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Jiaojiang Cataplasms / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the in vitro kinetics of Jiaojiang cataplasms and evaluate its pharmacodynamics， so as to provide a feasible basis for the development of this preparation. MethodThe improved Franz diffusion cell was used for the in vitro release in semipermeable membrane and transdermal absorption in in vitro mouse skins. The contents of hydroxy-α-sanshool， 6-gingerol， ginsenoside Rb1 were determined by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）， to evaluate the in vitro release and transdermal absorption of Jiaojiang cataplasms. The mobile phase of 6-gingerol and hydroxy-α-sanshool was water-acetonitrile-methanol （2∶1∶1） with the detection wavelength of 280 nm. The mobile phase of ginsenoside Rb1 was acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution （31∶69） with the detection wavelength of 203 nm. A mouse intestinal paralysis model was established， and mice were randomly divided into five groups， namely sham operation group， model group， domperidone group （3.9 mg·kg-1） and high- and low-dose groups of Jiaojiang cataplasms （6.2， 3.1 g·kg-1， measured by crude drug dosage）， to observe the effect of this preparation on gastrointestinal propulsion function. ResultAverage release rates of hydroxy-α-sanshool， 6-gingerol and ginsenoside Rb1 at 24 h were 16.41， 4.23， 4.15 μg∙cm-2∙h-1， the average transdermal rates of them at 24 h were 2.31， 0.64， 0.29 μg∙cm-2∙h-1， their skin retention values were 19.56， 3.59， 1.61 μg， respectively. According to the Ritger-Peppas equation， the release of hydroxy-α-sanshool， 6-gingerol， ginsenoside Rb1 was non-Fick diffusion. The high-dose group of Jiaojiang cataplasms could improve intestinal function of model mice after small intestinal friction injury， and promote intestinal peristalsis and small intestinal propulsion rate （P<0.05）. ConclusionJiaojiang cataplasms has in vitro release and transdermal properties， the in vitro release conforms to Higuchi equation， and transdermal absorption behavior conforms to zero-order kinetic equation， which can improve the postoperative function of the small intestine and the propulsion function of small intestine. It preliminarily indicates that the preparation has certain clinical development value.

Quality evaluation of ginsenoside reference substances based on qNMR spectroscopy / 中国中药杂志

The present study established a quality evaluation method for ginsenoside reference substances based on quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance(qNMR) spectroscopy. ~1H-NMR spectra were collected on Bruker Avance Ⅲ 500 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a 5 mm BBO probe. The acquire parameters were set up as follows: pulse sequence of 30°, D_1=20 s, probe temperature= 303 K, and the scan number = 32. Dimethyl terephthalate, a high-quality ~1H-qNMR standard, was used as the internal standard and measured by the absolute quantitative method. Methyl peaks of comparatively good sensitivity were selected for quantification, and linear fitting deconvolution was adopted to improve the accuracy of integration results. The qNMR spectroscopy-based method was established and validated, which was then used for the quality evaluation of ginsenoside Rg_1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb_1, ginsenoside Rd, and notoginsenoside R_1. The results suggested that the content of these ginsenoside reference standards obtained from the qNMR spectroscopy-based method was lower than that detected by the normalization method in HPLC provided by the manufacturers. In conclusion, the qNMR spectroscopy-based method can ensure the quality of ginsenoside reference substances and provide powerful support for the accurate quality evaluation of Chinese medicine and its preparations. The qNMR spectroscopy-based method is simple, rapid, and accurate, which can be developed for the quantitative assay of Chinese medicine standard references.

Protective effect and mechanism of ginsenoside Rb1 on repairing sciatic nerve injury in mice / 解剖学报

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of ginsenoside Rb1 on the repair of sciatic nerve injury (SNI) in mice. Methods Seventy-eight adult male Kunming mice were randomly divided into sham group (26), SNI group (26), SNI+Rb1 group (26). The SNI+Rb1 group was given 10 mg/kg ginsenoside Rb1 (i.p.), and the SNI group and the sham group were given the same volume of normal saline. The injury method was established by squeezing the sciatic nerve. Sciatic functional index (SFI) was used to evaluate sciatic nerve function. Growth associated protein 43 (GAP43) immunofluorescent staining was used to detect neural regeneration and repair on day 14, and the structure changes of the myelin sheath of the injured segment were observed under transmission electron microscope. Ki67 and S100β were used to detect the proliferation and migration ability of Schwann cells, and Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels after crush on day 3 and day 7. Results SFI of SNI+Rb1 group was higher than SNI group. The HE result showed that the sciatic nerve was uniform in the SNI + Rb1 group. The result of immunofluorescent staining displayed that Rb1 enhanced GAP43

Ginsenoside Rb1 Protects Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells against High Glucose-Induced Mitochondria-Related Apoptosis through Activating SIRT3 Signalling Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) can protect human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against high glucose-induced apoptosis and examine the underlying mechanism.@*METHODS@#HUVECs were divided into 5 groups: control group (5.5 mmol/L glucose), high glucose (HG, 40 mmol/L) treatment group, Rb1 (50 µ mol/L) treatment group, Rb1 plus HG treatment group, and Rb1 and 3-(@*RESULTS@#Rb1 ameliorated survival in cells in which apoptosis was induced by high glucose (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Upon the addition of Rb1, mitochondrial and intracellular reactive oxygen species generation and malondialdehyde levels were decreased (P<0.01), while the activities of antioxidant enzymes were increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Rb1 preserved the mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced the release of Cyt-c from the mitochondria into the cytosol (P<0.01). In addition, Rb1 upregulated mitochondrial biogenesis-associated proteins (P<0.01). Notably, the cytoprotective effects of Rb1 were correlated with SIRT3 signalling pathway activation (P<0.01). The effect of Rb1 against high glucose-induced mitochondria-related apoptosis was restrained by 3-TYP (P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Rb1 could protect HUVECs from high glucose-induced apoptosis by promoting mitochondrial function and suppressing oxidative stress through the SIRT3 signalling pathway.

Ginsenoside Rb1 protects brain through Cav-1 for mice with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on brain through Cav-1 in mice with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: One hundred and twenty C57/B6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, model + ginsenoside Rb1 group, ginsenoside Rb1+ Cav-1 siRNA group, ginsenoside Rb1+siNC group, 24 in each group. The model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The ginsenoside Rb1 group received intraperitoneally injection of ginsenoside Rb1 (40 mg/kg); the sham operation group and model group were intraperitoneally injected with an equal amount of physiological saline immediately after modeling. For the ginsenoside Rb1+ cav-1 siRNA group and the ginsenoside Rb1+siNC group, cav-1 siRNA and siNC were injected into the lateral ventricle 24 h before molding, respectively, and the other operations were the same as the ginsenoside Rb1 group. The neurobehavioral scores of the mice in each group were measured at 24 h after reperfusion, and the water content of brain tissue, cerebral infarction volume, Cav-1 mRNA and Cav-1, Bcl-2 and Bax protein expressions in the cerebral cortex penumbra were measured in each group. RESULTS:Compared with the sham operation group, the neurobehavioral scores, cerebral infarction volume and brain tissue water content in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the expressions of Cav-1 mRNA and Cav-1 protein, and the Bcl-2 /Bax ratio were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the neurobehavioral scores, cerebral infarction volume and brain tissue water content in the ginsenoside Rb1 group were significantly decreased, and the expressions of Cav-1 mRNA and Cav-1 protein, and the Bcl-2 /Bax ratio were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the ginsenoside Rb1 group, the neurobehavioral scores, cerebral infarction volume and brain tissue water content in the ginsenoside Rb1 + cav-1 siRNA group were significantly increased, and the expressions of Cav-1 mRNA and Cav-1 protein, and the Bcl-2 /Bax ratio were significantly decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Ginsenoside Rb1 can protects brain for mice with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. After Cav-1 siRNA decreased the expression of Cav-1 protein in the brain tissue of mice, it significantly reverses the cerebral protective effect of ginsenoside Rb1, indicating that Cav-1 protein mediated the cerebral protective effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury mice.

Role of NR2B and CREB in ginsenoside Rbl regulation of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the effect of ginsenoside Rbl on methamphetamine-induced CPP in rats and to explore the role of NR2B/CREB in it. Methods METH(2mg·kg-1, i.p) was administered to establish METH-induced CPP model in rats. 0 ∼3 d was the adaptation stage and 4 ∼ 13 d was the experimental stage. METH (2 mg · kg-1, i. p) or saline (10 mg · kg-1, i. p) was injected every other day. Rb1 (10 mg · kg-1, i.p) or saline was pre-injected lh before injection of METH or saline. After perfusion, the hippocampus was isolated from brain on ice, and the expression levels of NR2B, CREB and p-CREB were detected by Western blot. Results The animal model of METH-induced CPP was successfully established. The rats were pretreated with Rbl (10 mg · kg-1) for 1 h, and the time that the rats stayed in drug-paired was significantly reduced compared with METH group. Western blot results showed that NR2B, p-CREB and p-CREB/CREB significantly increased in METH group and without altering CREB expression levels compared with control group. However, after pre-treated with Rbl, the expression levels of NR2B, p-CREB and p-CREB/CREB decreased compared with METH group. Conclusions METH can significantly induce CPP in rats. Rbl may inhibit METH-induced CPP in rats by regulating NR2B and p-CREB.

Detectione of the contents of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside IV in Weikang granules by HPLC-ELSD / 药学实践杂志

Objective To optimize the extraction method and develop the detection method of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ in Weikang granules. Methods The extraction process of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ in Weikang granules were optimized by single factor investigation, with the contents of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ as optimization indicators. The HPLC-ELSD method was developed for the detection of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ in Weikang granules. Separation was carried out on an XBridge®Shield RP18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-water（32:68）at the flow rate of 1 ml/min. The column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. The drift tube temperature was set at 60 ℃, and the carrier gas flow rate was 1.7 SLM. Results The optimized extraction methods of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ in Weikang granules were as the following: methanol reflux extraction for 1.5 h, and n-butanol extraction and ammonia washed for 5 and 2 times, respectively. The HPLC-ELSD method was established to detect the contents of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ. The linear relationship was good (r > 0.9997). The intra-day and inter-day precision was less than 1%. The recovery rates were 95.65% and 100.57%. The stability and repeatability RSD were less than 3%. The contents were 2.8630 mg/g and 0.2576 mg/g. The RSDs were 0.62% and 1.51%, respectively. Conclusion The extraction method of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ in Weikang granules is optimized, and a reliable, accurate and reproducible HPLC-ELSD method for the detection of the contents of ginsenoside Rb1 and astragaloside Ⅳ in Weikang granules is established.

Effect of particle design on pharmacokinetics of Shenling Baizhu Pulvis in rats / 中草药

Objective: Using LC-MS to explore the pharmacokinetic process in rats of Shenling Baizhu Pulvis (SBP), which was modified by particle design technology. Methods: Particle design powder of SBP was prepared by particle design technology. A scientific and feasible LC-MS analysis method was established to determine the blood concentration of index compounds such as ginsenoside Re (GI-Re), ginsenoside Rb1 (GI-Rb1), ginsenoside Rg1 (GI-Rg1), atractylenolide I (AT-I), atractylenolide II (AT-II) and pachymic acid (PA) in rats at different time points after administration. DAS 3.2.8 pharmacokinetic software was adopted to analyze the data, which related to blood concentration of index compounds, and the pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated by the non-compartmental model. Results: LC-MS analysis method was established, which has a good linear relationship and specificity for the index compounds in rats, and the RSD of precision, accuracy, extraction recovery and stability were all less than 5% or 10%. Compared with ordinary powder, the particle design powder displayed increased Cmax and AUC0-∞ after administration, and the AUC0-∞ of GI-Re, GI-Rb1, GI-Rg1, AT-I, AT-II and PA were increased to 1.52, 2.02, 1.22, 1.41, 1.13 and 1.43 times, respectively. Conclusion: The LC-MS analysis method meet the requirements of biological sample analysis in Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. After particle design and modification, the absorption speed of SBP in vivo become faster and the bioavailability is improved significantly.

Effects of low molecular weight chitosan and its nanoparticles on intestinal permeability of Panax notoginseng saponins / 中草药

Objective: To evaluate the effect of low molecular weight chitosan (LMW-CTS) and its nanoparticles (LMW-CTS-NPs) on the intestinal permeability of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) by using Caco-2 cell model. Methods: LMW-CTS was prepared by combining chitosanase hydrolysis combined with ultrafiltration separation technology, and molecular weight of LMW-CTS was determined by using permeation gel chromatography (GPC). LMW-CTS-NPs were prepared by ionic gel method, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nano particle sizer, and flourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Caco-2 cell model was established and validated to evaluate the effects of LMW-CTS and LMW-CTS-NPs on the intestinal permeability of PNS. Results: LMW-CTS has a molecular weight of 5 760 and a polydispersity coefficient of 1.42. LMW-CTS-NPs have a round shape and narrow particle size distribution, with an average particle size of 115.5 nm and zeta potential of +37.1 mV. The apparent permeability coefficients (Papp, AB→BL) of PNS was less than 1 × 10-6 cm/s, indicating a poor permeability. In LMW-CTS group, the Papp of R1 and Rg1 was increased by 17.83% and 20.29%, respectively, but no significant effect of promotion was observed on other components. However, the Papp of R1, Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd in LMW-CTS-NPs group was increased by 35.66%, 23.28%, 29.41%, 37.99%, and 36.00%, respectively, compared tothe control group. Conclusion: LMW-CTS can significantly promote the intestinal mucosal permeability of R1 and Rg1 in PNS, but has no significant effect on Re, Rb1, and Rd. LMW-CTS-NPs significantly increased the permeability of the major monomer saponin components in PNS. Namely, the intestinal permeability of PNS can be further improved by transforming LMW-CTS into LMW-CTS-NPs.

Quality evaluation of different origins and commercial grades of Panax notginseng by HPLC and grey correlation analysis / 中草药

Objective: To establish a method for determination of five saponins in Panax notginseng by HPLC and comprehensively evaluate the quality of it by using grey correlation analysis. Methods: The content of notoginsenoside R1 and ginsenoside Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rd in the different origins and commercial grades of P. notginseng was simultaneously determined by HPLC, and the entire quality evaluation model was established by grey correlation analysis. Results: The established method was applied to quantify five major bioactive components in P. notginseng simultaneously with satisfactory results. Gray correlation method can distinguish the samples from genuine producing areas, qualified samples and unqualified samples, and provide reference for quality evaluation of P. notoginseng and quality evaluation of multi-index components of Chinese materia medica. Conclusion: This HPLC method was simple, accurate, stable and rapid with better separation effect, which was suitable for determination of notoginsenoside R1 and ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rd; The grey recognition analysis was suitable for the comprehensive quality evaluation of multi-component samples of Chinese materia medica.

Expression and role of retinoblastoma RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1 in the subchondral bone of osteoarthritis / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is mainly characterized by degeneration of the articular cartilage and reconstruction of the subchondral bone. The specific pathogenesis of osteoarthritis is still unclear. Most studies have used cartilage and subchondral bone as the main entry point to explore the molecular mechanism and signal pathway changes in the disease progression, providing new biological targets and research direction for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1 (RB1CC1) in the subchondral bone during the development of osteoarthritis. METHODS: Eight-week-old C57 mice were randomly divided into experimental group and sham operation group. Experimental group was then randomly divided into two subgroups of 4 weeks and 8 weeks. In the experimental group, the tibia ligament of the right knee was cut off to dissociate the medial meniscus to induce osteoarthritis. In the sham operation group, only the joint capsule was cut without medial ligament resection and meniscus dissociation. The study was implemented with an experimental animal ethic approval from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, China (approval No. 44007200038731) on December 13, 2017. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the sham operation group, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International scores were increased significantly in the experimental group. Compared with the sham operation group, the expression of collagen II was decreased, and RB1CC1 in the subchondral bone was gradually increased in the experimental group, which was consistent with the expression trend of BSP2. To conclude, with the development of osteoarthritis, the expression of RB1CC1 in the subchondral bone is gradually increased, which may be related to the increase of hyperplasia in the subchondral bone and remodeling.

Ginsenoside Rb1 improving autophagic flux against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in isolated-heart of rat / 解剖学报

Objective To explore the protective effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on the myocardial ischemia / reperfusion (I / R) injury in rats in vitro. Methods Totally 60 adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:sham group,I / R group,ginsenosde Rb1 pretreatment groups(at the doses of 1 μmol / L,5 μmol / L,10 μmol / L and 20 μmol / L,respectively), 10 in each group. The Langendorff perfusion system was used to establish I / R model. The Lab Chart electrophysiological system was used to monitor real-time heart function by monitoring heart rate (HR), left ventricular development pressure (LVDP) and left ventricular development pressure (± dp / dtmax). TTC staining method was used to measure myocardial infarct size. The Western blotting were used to assay Beclin 1, LC3, p62 and Lamp 2 expression, respectively. The immunohistochemistry were used to assay Beclin 1 expression. Results Ginsenoside Rbl of all the four different concent rations improved the decrease of LVDP and ± dp / dtmax arising from myocardial I / R injury. Meanwhile, ginsenoside Rbl significantly decreased the area of cardial infarction. Ginsenoside Rb1 (10 μmol / L) precondition group protected the heart most significantly (P<0. 05). The expression of Beclin 1 with I / R increased significantly in the cytoplasm of cardiomyocytes. Moreover, Beclin 1 expression decreased after addition pretreatment with ginsenoside Rb1 (10 μmol / L) (P < 0. 05). Compared with sham group, we found that the autophagic flux was impaired in I / R group which the expression of Beclin 1, LC3 and p62 increased significantly, as well as the expression of Lamp 2 decreased significantly. On the other hand, pretreatment with ginsenoside Rb1 (10 μmol / L) could reverse impaired autophagic flux (P < 0. 05). Conclusion Ginsenoside Rbl demonstrates pharmacological preconditioning effect and protects against myocardial I / R injury by improving damaged-autophagy flux, the dose of 10 μmol / L precondition protectes the heart most significantly.

UPLC-MS/MS determination of active components from Wuzhuyu Decoction in plasma and brain tissues of nitroglycerin-induced migraine rats / 中国中药杂志

A sensitive and specific ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) method was deve-loped for analysis of rutaecarpine(Ru), evodiamine(Ev), rutaevine(Rv), limonin(Li), ginsendside Rb_1(Rb_1), ginsendside Re(Re) in rat plasma and brain tissues of nitroglycerin-induced migraine rats. Male healthy Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were orally given multiple dose of optimized(OS) and un-optimized Wuzhuyu Decoction(UNOS), and their blood samples and brainstem were collected at different time points after injection of nitroglycerin(10 mg·kg~(-1)) into the frontal region. The drug concentrations of the 6 analytes in plasma and brainstem were determined by UPLC-MS/MS method. Subsequently, the main pharmacokinetics parameters of plasma were calculated by using Phoenix WinNolin 5.2.1 software. The methodological test showed that all of analytes in both plasma and brainstem homogenate exhibited a good linearity within the concentration range(r>0.994 7). The intra-day and inter-day accuracy, precision, matrix effect, stability of the investigated components meet the requirements for biopharmaceutical analysis. The developed method was successfully applied in pharmacokinetic studies on abovementioned ingredients in rat plasma and brain stem. The plasma pharmacokinetic parameters of active ingredients in two different Wuzhuyu Decoction group were compared, it was found that Rb_1 had higher t_(1/2), T_(max), C_(max), AUC_(0-24 h) and AUC_(0-∞ )in OS group. Meanwhile, Ev had higher t_(1/2) and T_(max) but lower C_(max), AUC_(0-24 h) and AUC_(0-∞), Ru has higher t_(1/2 )but lower C_(max), AUC_(0-24 h) and AUC_(0-∞ )in OS group. The brain tissue distribution of each component were compared between the two groups, the component with higher content in OS, such as Ru at 30 min and 2 h after administration, Ev at 30 min, Rb_1 at 30 min and Rb_1 at 2 h after administration have lower brain tissue distribution than those in UNOS group, while the component with higher content in UNOS, such as Rv at 30 min, 2 h and 12 h after administration had higher brain tissue distribution than those in OS group.

Retinoblastoma discordance in families with twins

Retinoblastoma has an increased inheritance risk of germline RB1 mutations in offspring and siblings, especially twins. Three families, each having one retinoblastoma-affected twin, were selected for genetic analysis and DNA profiling. Germline RB1 mutations were found in all probands. DNA profiling carried on similar-looking twins of families I and II, proved them to be fraternal. This study demonstrates the importance of genetic analysis of RB1 gene for risk prediction in retinoblastoma families. It also emphasizes that DNA profiling is a mandate for genetic screening of families with twins, thus adding a new dimension in counseling of retinoblastoma.

Determination of seven saponins in flower buds of Panax ginseng by quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker / 中草药

Objective: On the basis of simultaneous determination of seven saponins in flower buds of Panax ginseng, a method of quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) for the determination of seven saponins was established, and the feasibility of the method was verified. Methods: Using HPLC-UV, ten batches of dried P. ginseng flowers were used as the research object. Ginsenoside Re was used as internal reference to determine the relative correction factor of ginsenoside Rg1, Rg2, Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd. The content of each component was measured by the traditional external standard method, and the difference between the calculated value and the measured value was compared to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the external standard method. Results: The relative correction factors of six ginsenoside Rg1, Rg2, Rb1, Rc1, Rb2, and Rd in P. ginseng flower were 1.07, 1.05, 0.81, 0.80, 0.64, and 0.84, respectively. The relative correction factors of six ginsenosides were reproducible in the 10 batches, the determiation of QAMS were not significantly different from those measured by the external standard method. Conclusion: In the case of shortage of ginsenoside reference substance, a method of QAMS can be used, the content of ginsenoside Rg1, Rg2, Rb1, Rb1, Rb2, and Rd in flower buds of P. ginseng can be determined by relative calibration factor.