ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) is implicated in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study is to examine the role of NO synthase (NOS) expression in the distal colon of neonatal maternal separation (NMS) model rats employed in IBS studies. METHODS: Male neonates of Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into NMS and normal control (N) groups. Rats of NMS group were subjected to 3 h daily maternal separation on postnatal day 2-21. Rats were administrated non-selective NOS inhibitor l-NAME (100 mg kg(-1) ), selective neuronal NOS (nNOS) inhibitor 7-NINA (10mgkg(-1) ), selective inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor, endothelial NOS (eNOS) inhibitor (10mgkg(-1) ) or Vehicle (Veh; distilled water) intraperitoneally 1h prior to the experiment for the test and control groups, respectively. KEY RESULTS: The amount of NO was significantly higher in the NMS Veh rats compared with unseparated N rats. Western-blotting and real-time quantitative PCR studies showed that protein and mRNA expression of nNOS were higher in the NMS group than that in the N rats; whereas no significant change in iNOS and eNOS was found in either groups. Neonatal maternal separation Veh rats showed low pain threshold and increased electromyogram (EMG) activity in response to colonic distension stimuli. l-NAME and 7-Nitroindazole monosodium salt (7-NINA) increased pain threshold pressure and attenuated EMG activity in the NMS rats. In addition, l-NAME and 7-NINA substantially reduced oxidative marker malondialdehyde level in NMS rats. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Neonatal maternal separation increased the NO generation by nNOS upregulation that interact with reactive oxygen species contributing to the visceral hypersensitivity in IBS.
Subject(s)
Animals, Newborn/physiology , Colon/physiopathology , Colonic Diseases/physiopathology , Hyperalgesia/physiopathology , Maternal Behavior/physiology , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/physiology , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Electromyography , Gastrointestinal Motility/physiology , Indazoles/pharmacology , Irritable Bowel Syndrome/physiopathology , Male , NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester/pharmacology , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/antagonists & inhibitors , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/drug effects , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/antagonists & inhibitors , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/drug effects , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/physiology , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/antagonists & inhibitors , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/drug effects , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/physiology , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Rats , Rats, Sprague-DawleyABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: This study aimed to demonstrate and delineate the mechanism of action of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) involved in improving Ca balance in aged female rats. FLL could enhance the apparent Ca absorption rate and reduce Ca excretion, via its actions on modulating the levels of calciotropic hormones and CaBPs expression. INTRODUCTION: Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) is a herb classically used for the treatment of age-related symptoms in China. The present study aimed to determine if FLL could improve calcium balance in aged female rats and delineate its mechanism of action in vivo. METHODS: Aged Sprague-Dawley rats (11 months of age) were orally administered with ethanol extract of FLL or its vehicle and fed with diets containing different levels of Ca (low Ca diet, LCD, 0.1% Ca; medium Ca diet, MCD, 0.6% Ca; high Ca diet, HCD, 1.2% Ca) for 12 weeks. Serum, urine and feces were collected for biochemical markers and Ca balance determination. mRNA expressions of calcium binding proteins (CaBPs) were determined by real time RT-PCR. The effects of diets and herb were analyzed by both one-way and two-way ANOVA. RESULTS: FLL significantly reduced fecal Ca excretion and induced apparent Ca absorption rate in rats fed with MCD and HCD. FLL increased serum 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) level and duodenal CaBP-9k mRNA expressions in all rats. Renal CaBP-28k mRNA expressions were induced in rats fed with MCD and HCD upon FLL treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that FLL improved Ca balance in aged female rats by increasing serum 1,25 (OH)(2)D(3) level and vitamin D-dependent CaBPs expression.
Subject(s)
Calcium, Dietary/administration & dosage , Calcium/metabolism , Ligustrum , Phytotherapy , Animals , Body Weight , Calbindins , Calcitriol/blood , Duodenum/metabolism , Female , Gene Expression , Intestinal Absorption/drug effects , Kidney/metabolism , Parathyroid Hormone/blood , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , S100 Calcium Binding Protein G/metabolismABSTRACT
A new labdane diterpene, heteronone B (1), together with a known labdane diterpene, heteronone A (2), have been isolated from the aerial part of Leonurus heterophyllus. Their structures were established mainly by 1D and 2D NMR analysis and the stereochemistry of 2 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.
Subject(s)
Diterpenes/chemistry , Leonurus/chemistry , Plant Components, Aerial/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , China , Chromatography , Diterpenes/isolation & purification , Molecular Structure , Spectrophotometry , X-Ray DiffractionABSTRACT
Three withanolide class steroids were isolated from the seeds of Hyoscyamus niger. Two of them were identified as daturalactone-4 (1) and Nic-3 (which is now named hyoscyamilactol) (2). The new compound was elucidated as 16alpha-acetoxyhyoscyamilactol (3) on the basis of spectroscopic properties and X-ray crystallographic analysis.
ABSTRACT
A novel norditerpenoid alkaloid, beiwudine (1), was isolated from the roots of Aconitum kusnezoffii. Its structure was established on the basis of chemical and NMR spectral studies.
