Effects of electroacupuncture on cognitive function in rats with Parkinson's disease.

This study was designed to illustrate the effects of electroacupuncture on cognitive function in rats with Parkinson's disease (PD). The PD model was established by injecting 6-OHDA into the rat brain. Rats with PD were then subjected to electroacupuncture and levodopa treatment for 2 weeks. The level of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in rat brain homogenates was assessed, for the cerebral cholinergic system is a major chemical pathway consisting of cognitive functions. Immunohistochemistry was applied to observe ChAT expression in the rat hippocampus and corpus striatum. The effects of electroacupuncture on cognitive function were comprehensively assessed in PD rats using Y-maze test. Compared with model control group, electroacupuncture group were apparently improved in learning & memory abilities, and ChAT activity was elevated, and apoptosis was reduced in the rat hippocampus and corpus striatum. No significant differences in learning & memory abilities and ChAT activity were detected between electroacupuncture and levodopa groups. Electroacupuncture remarkably improved cognition in PD rats, and its mechanisms are possibly associated with protecting cholinergic neurons in the central nervous system and elevating ChAT activity, and also might suitable dosage of levodopa protect physiologically the cognitive function in PD rats.

[Research progress in relations between renin angiotensin system and diabetic cardiomyopathy].

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is activated in diabetes. The rise of angiotension II (Ang II) stimulates the cardiac fibroblast proliferation and the alteration of collagen metabolism through AT1 receptor on cell surface, causing the myocardium interstitial and perivascular fibrosis, and the ventricular myocardium rigidity and diastolic function disturbance, leading to the clinical symptoms of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The main members of RAS including Ang II, Ang-(1-7), Ac-SDKP and ATR play the important role in the development of DCM. This article reviewed the interactions between RAS and endothelin (ET), reactive oxygen species (ROS), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), nuclear factor-kappa b (NF-kappaB), signal transduction system and apoptosis in DCM.

Cardioprotective effect of 'methylamine irisolidone', a new compound, in hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in cultured rat cardiac myocytes.

'Methylamine irisolidone' (=5,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-8-[(methylamino)methyl]-4H-[1]benzopyran-4-one), a new compound, is a structurally modified kakkalide with good water solubility. In this study, we investigated its effect on hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in cultured rat cardiac myocytes. The results showed that methylamine irisolidone could significantly inhibit lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, enhance the mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) associated with the attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, reduce contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), and increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) after H/R in a dose-dependent manner. The present study demonstrated that methylamine irisolidone can directly protect cardiomyocytes against H/R injury, primarily as a result of reduction of the intracellular Ca(2+) overload coincident with an attenuation of ROS generation and ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation, which may contribute to the preservation of mitochondrion function and antioxidant against H/R injury.

Protective effects of Salvia plebeia compound homoplantaginin on hepatocyte injury.

Salvia plebeia R. Br is a traditional Chinese herb which has been considered as an inflammatory mediator used for treatment of many infectious diseases including hepatitis. Previously, the compound homoplantaginin was isolated in our group. Hence, we evaluated the protective effects of homoplantaginin on hepatocyte injury. Homoplantaginin displayed an antioxidant property in a cell-free system and showed IC(50) of reduction level of DPPH radical at 0.35 microg/ml. In human hepatocyte HL-7702 cells exposed to H(2)O(2), the addition of 0.1-100 microg/ml of homoplantaginin, which did not have a toxic effect on cell viability, significantly reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, and increased glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in supernatant. In vivo assay, we employed the model of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatic injury mice to evaluate efficacy of homoplantaginin. Homoplantaginin (25-100mg/kg) significantly reduced the increase in serum alanine aminotranseferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). The same treatment also reduced the content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), elevated the levels of GSH, GSH-Px and SOD in hepatic homogenate. The histopathological analysis showed that the grade of liver injury was ameliorated with reduction of inflammatory cells and necrosis of liver cells in homoplantaginin treatment mice. These results suggest that homoplantaginin has a protective and therapeutic effect on hepatocyte injury, which might be associated with its antioxidant properties.

High expression of alpha 2, 3-linked sialic acid residues is associated with the metastatic potential of human gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sialic acid, as a terminal saccharide residue on cell surface glycoconjugates, plays an important role in a variety of biological processes. However, the precise nature of the molecules in gastric cancers has not been unveiled nor documented to be of clinical relevance. Herein, we measured the expression of alpha 2, 3-linked sialic acid residues by using a specific lectin as well as the potential of invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer was analyzed. METHODS: The expression of alpha 2, 3-linked sialic acid residues in 100 cases of gastric cancer samples was evaluated using Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin (MAL) histochemical staining analysis. The assays of cytochemical staining and flow cytometry were employed to determine the MAL positive cells in the gastric cancer cell lines. The activities of invasion and migration were evaluated using the assays of cell adhesion and transwell chamber. RESULTS: The staining of MAL in gastric cancer tissues showed that high levels of alpha 2, 3-linked sialic acid residues were closely associated with the invasive depth (P=0.0003) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.0441). In gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines, SGC-7901, the highly metastatic cell line, displayed the most positive reaction with MAL among the selected cell lines. The potential of invasion and migration was confirmed using the assays of adhesion and transwell chamber that SGC-7901 exhibited the high activity of adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) and penetration to Matrigel. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that high level of alpha 2, 3-linked sialic acid residues was associated with metastatic potential of gastric cancer cells.

The toxicity study on marine low-temperature lysozyme.

Marine low-temperature lysozyme is purified from a marine bacterium. The lysozyme can keep high activity at low-temperature and has broad-spectrum antibiotic reaction. This study was undertaken to investigate the major characteristics, acute and subchronic toxicity of marine low-temperature lysozyme. The relative molecular weight of this lysozyme was determined as approximate 16 kD; its optimum pH value and temperature towards Micrococcus lysodleikticus were pH 6.5 and 35 degrees C, respectively. The lysozyme activity was slightly enhanced by Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) and slightly inhibited by Mn(2+) and Ag(+). The lysozyme showed good compatibility to many common chemical agents such as EDTA (0.1%), KH(2)PO(4) (1.0%), etc. In experiments on acute toxicity, the drug was injected through the tail vein of mice, and intoxication symptoms and date of death were recorded. The 50% lethal dose (LD(50)) of Marine low-temperature lysozyme and 95%, 99% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. The subchronic study was designed to determine whether effects progressed with repeated Marine low-temperature lysozyme exposure. Wistar rats were tested by daily intragastric administration of Marine low-temperature lysozyme at the doses of 1.0; 0.5; 0.25 g/kg bw for 90 days. The LD(50) value of lysozyme was 4530 mg/kg bw; 90 days of Marine low-temperature lysozyme treatment at three doses, and there is no significant difference on blood biochemistry and organ index in drug treatment groups compared to saline treatment group. There is no affirmative pathologic change of all the observed organs in this study. The present results suggest that Marine low-temperature lysozyme can be safely used at the dose of experiment applied.

A major triterpenoid saponin from Gypsophila oldhamiana.

A new saponin, gypoldoside A (1), was isolated from the roots of Gypsophila oldhamiana. On the basis of in-depth NMR-spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric analysis, in combination with chemical evidence, its structure was established as 3-O-{beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl}quillaic acid 28-[alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-fucopyranosyl] ester. Compound 1 was found to be highly active against three different human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range.

Curcumin inhibits telomerase activity in human cancer cell lines.

Curcumin, one of the major components of tumeric, the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa L, has been shown to have anti-proliferating and anti-carcinogenic properties. In this study, we examined the effects of curcumin on cell growth and telomerase activity in human cancer cell lines Bel7402, HL60 and SGC7901. Curcumin (1-32 microM) showed anti-proliferating effects on these cell lines in a dose-dependent manner in vitro, and anti-tumor effects when curcumin (50-200 mg/kg) was orally administered to nude mice transplanted with the cancer cells. When the cells were treated with 1 microM of curcumin for 120 h, apoptotic cells were observed by means of the adridine orange/ethidium bromide staining method, single cell microgel electrophoresis and flow cytometric analysis. On the other hand, suppression of telomerase activity in extracts of the cells treated with 1 microM of curcumin was observed by means of a telomeric repeat amplification protocol - silver staining assay. These results suggest that curcumin could suppress telomerase activity in the cancer cell lines and that the decrease of telomerase expression followed by induction of apoptosis might be involved in the anti-proliferating effect of curcumin.

[Protective effect of puerarin on stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effect of puerarin on stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats. METHOD: The model of gastric ulcer was established by restraint plus water-immersion stress in rats. Gastric motility was monitored by the method of "Gas Balloon". Gastric mucosal blood flow was recorded by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Colorimetric method was used to determine the content of NO and ET in gastric mucosal tissue. Meantime the pathologic changes of gastric mucosal was examined. RESULT: Puerarin could significantly attenuated gastric mucosal damage induced by water-immersion stress, inhibited gastric motility, specially decreased the index of gastric motility and percentage of gastric contraction time and numbers of violent contraction. The gastric mucosal blood flow and NO level in gastric mucosal were enhanced, while ET level was reduced by puerarin. The degree of tissue damage in gastric mucosal was also significantly attenuated after administration fo puerarin. CONCLUSION: Puerarin exerts a significant protective effect on water-immersion stress-induced gastric mucosal damage by relaxing the vessels, increasing NO level in gastric mucosal, increasing regional gastric mucosal blood flow and inhibiting gastric motility.