The gender difference in effect of sevoflurane exposure on cognitive function and hippocampus neuronal apoptosis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Anesthesia and surgery can induce postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Ser-133 phosphorylation sites of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) is a key gene that mediate a variety of downstream transcription initiation factors, regulate neuronal survival and promote the expression of a large number of genes. Thus, CREB may play a role in this impairment. We hypothesize that and sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment possibly via inhibiting the expression of CREB downstream genes and proteins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To test this hypothesis, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to sevoflurane exposure and were tested with a series of behavioral experiments (open field, passive avoidance test and Morris water maze test) at different time (1 d to 95 d). Besides, blood gas changes and expiratory sevoflurane concentrations were examined at 2 h; the levels of phosphorylated CREB 1, the protein Bcl-2, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 were assessed at 1 week and 3 months after anesthesia. We also conducted a comparison in sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment between male and female rats. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Here, we found that sevoflurane anesthesia can impair short-term cognitive function, which may be via down-regulating p-CREB1 and Bcl-2 expression and up-regulating Caspase-8 expression to reduce hippocampus neuronal apoptosis, and male rats suffered a more severe cognitive dysfunction than female rats. In addition, sevoflurane can produce a reversible long-term cognitive dysfunction in rats.

Polyphenolic acids from mint (the aerial of Mentha haplocalyx Briq.) with DPPH radical scavenging activity.

Vegetables of mint (the aerial part of Mentha haplocalyx) contain a significant amount of polyphenols with many health benefits. The crude aqueous acetone extract exhibited high antioxidant activity (IC(50)= 45.67 mug/mL) in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The activity-guided separation of chlorophyll removal fraction on column chromatography afforded 8 polyphenolic acids, including a new compound, cis-salvianolic acid J (1), and 7 known compounds, salvianolic acid J (2), lithospermic acid (3), rosmarinic acid (4), lithospermic acid B (5), magnesium lithospermate B (6), sodium lithospermate B (7), and danshensu (8), respectively. Their structural elucidations of all the compounds were based on extensive spectroscopic methods, including HRESIMS and 2D NMR experiments (HSQC, HMBC, and ROESY) and by comparison with reference values. Compounds 2, 3, and 5 to 8 were isolated from Mentha genus for the 1st time. The DPPH radical scavenging activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated.

New phenylethanoid glycosides and sugar esters from ku-ding-cha, a herbal tea produced from Ligustrum purpurascens.

Ku-Ding-Cha is a kind of herbal tea used commonly in China for its effects on hypertension, fatness, inflammation, and diuresis. The chlorophyll removal fraction from 60% aqueous acetone extract of Ku-Ding-Cha produced from the leaves of Ligustrum purpurascens (Oleaceae) exhibited observable antioxidant activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay (SC50 = 45 microg/mL). Further detailed phytochemical investigation on this fraction led to the isolation of 2 new phenylethanoid glycosides, ligupurpurosides C-D (1 and 2), and 2 new sugar esters, ligupurpurosides E-F (3 and 4), together with 15 known compounds (5 to 19). All of them, except for 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12, were isolated from Ku-Ding-Cha and its original plants for the first time. The chemical structures were elucidated based on the analysis of spectroscopic data, including 1D, 2D NMR, and FABMS. In addition, the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant activities by DPPH assay.

Paragonimiasis: treatment with praziquantel in 40 human cases and in 1 cat.

40 patients infected with P. westermani were divided into 3 groups and treated with praziquantel (2-cyclohexylcarbonyl-1,2,3,6,7,11b-hexahydro-4H-pyrazino[2,1-a]++ +isoquinolin- 4-one) by 3 different dosages. Parasitological cure was achieved in 27/40 patients, i.e. 67.5%. Details are given in this short communication.