ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Our previous studies have proved that zinc supplement effectively alleviate depression symptoms in mice, but the mechanisms are still uncertain. Neuroinflammation is considered as an important aspect in pathogenesis of depression. To elucidate the role of zinc on neuroinflammation, in this study, we investigated effects of zinc on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in BV2 microglia cells, a kind of innate immune cells in central nervous system. METHODS: BV2 cells were treated by 100â¯ng/ml LPS to induce inflammatory responses and the effects of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) addition on LPS-induced inflammation were observed. Besides, through culturing HT-22 hippocampus cells by using medium transferred from zinc-intervened BV2 cells, the protective roles of zinc on hippocampus cells were identified. RESULTS: LPS treatment up-regulated expressions of CD11b, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Meaningfully, zinc was capable of blocking ROS generation and reducing expressions of the above inflammatory cytokines at both 10⯵M and 30⯵M. In addition, it was proved that zinc intervention to BV2 cells could increase the viabilities of hippocampal HT-22 cells cultured by medium of BV2 cells. Furthermore, the zinc-finger protein A20, an anti-inflammation factor, was increased by zinc supplement, while levels of p65, p-IκB and p-p65 were significantly decreased. LIMITATIONS: More compelling proofs were needed to ensure roles of A20 in anti-inflammatory effects of zinc. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggested that zinc inhibits inflammatory responses mediated by microglia cells via upregulation of zinc-finger A20. It was proposed that this anti-inflammatory action might be underlying mechanism of previously observed anti-depressive effects of zinc.
Subject(s)
Cytokines/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation/physiology , Inflammation/drug therapy , Microglia/drug effects , Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha-Induced Protein 3/genetics , Zinc Sulfate/pharmacology , Animals , Blotting, Western , CD11b Antigen/metabolism , Cell Line , Cell Survival , Coculture Techniques , Cyclooxygenase 2/metabolism , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Hippocampus/drug effects , Hippocampus/metabolism , Inflammation/chemically induced , Interleukin-6/metabolism , Lipopolysaccharides/toxicity , Mice , Microglia/metabolism , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Nitric Oxide/biosynthesis , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism , Up-Regulation/drug effectsABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the relationships between constitutional types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and motion sickness. Methods: A survey of TCM constitutions in ocean sailors participating in a voyage was performed by using the TCM Constitution Questionnaire developed by Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, while the survey of motion sickness was operated by Graybiel's diagnostic criteria. The incidences of motion sickness among sailors with different types of constitutions were compared. Results: Prior to the voyage, 50.3% of sailors exhibited a gentleness constitution, 14.5% were of dampness-heat constitution, 10.3% were of qi-stagnation constitution, whereas the percentages of qi-deficiency, yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, blood-stasis and special diathesis constitutions were 6.2%, 7.6%, 6.2%, 4.1% and 0.7%, respectively. None exhibited a phlegm-dampness constitution. By the end of the 176-day voyage, the percentages of gentleness, dampness-heat, qi-depression, qi-deficiency, yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, blood-stasis, special diathesis and phlegm-dampness constitutions were 33.8%, 13.8%, 13.1%, 11.0%, 6.9%, 9.7%, 4.1%, 0.7% and 6.9%, respectively. The incidence of motion sickness was 69.7% (101 sailors) during this voyage. The incidences of motion sickness among sailors with different types of constitutions before the voyage showed significant difference (P<0.001). The incidence of motion sickness was higher in the sailors with dampness-heat constitution than in those with gentleness constitution. Conclusion: Types of Chinese medical constitution can be related to susceptibility to motion sickness. Furthermore, ocean voyage may have an effect or influence on the type of Chinese medical constitution of sailors involved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the antimotion sickness effects of ginsenosides combined with dexamethasone in rats. Methods: Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal saline, scopolamine-treated, ginsenosides-treated, dexamethasone-treated and ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated groups. There were 10 rats in each group. The rats in each group were fed with corresponding ingredients respectively, and then the rats were exposed to abnormal acceleration for one hour. The motion sickness index, the level of kaolin consumption and the course and time of spontaneous activity were observed. Results: The motion sickness index and the level of kaolin consumption of acceleration-exposed rats in ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated group were significantly lower than those in normal saline group. And the course and time of spontaneous activity of acceleration-exposed rats in ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated group were significantly higher than those in normal saline group. The level of body weight increment of acceleration-exposed rats in ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated group was significantly higher than that in dexamethasone-treated group. Conclusion: Ginsenosides combined with dexamethasone can significantly increase tolerance to acceleration of rats, and the drug combination can decrease side effects of methylprednisolone, such as body weight loss.
