[Effects of astragaloside â £ on inflammatory response and percentage of peripheral blood Th17 cells in mice with ulcerative colitis].

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of astragaloside Ⅳ in mice with ulcerative colitis(UC) and its effect on the percentage of peripheral blood T helper(Th17) cells. Following the establishment of UC mouse model with 2% sodium dextran sulfate(DSS), mice in the positive control group and low-and high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ groups were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage. Disease activity index(DAI) was calculated, and serum interleukin-17(IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-ß(TGF-ß) levels were assayed by ELISA. The pathological changes in colon tissue were observed by HE staining, and Th17/regulatory T cells(Treg) ratio in the peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry. Western blot was conducted for detecting the relative protein expression levels of forkhead box protein P3(Foxp3) and retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor γT(ROR-γt). The findings demonstrated that in normal mice, the colonic structure was intact. The goblet cells were not reduced and the glands were neatly arranged, with no mucosal erosion, bleeding, or positive cell infiltration. In the model group, the colonic mucosal structure was seriously damaged, manifested as disordered arrangement or missing of glands, vascular dilatation, congestion, and massive inflammatory cell infiltration. The pathological injury of colon tissue was alleviated to varying degrees in drug treatment groups. Compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited elevated percentage of Th17 cells, increased IL-17 and TNF-α content, up-regulated relative ROR-γt protein expression, lowered TGF-ß, reduced percentage of Treg cells, and down-regulated relative Foxp3 protein expression. The comparison with the model group showed that DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, and relative ROR-γt protein expression in the positive control group, low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group, and high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group were decreased, while TGF-ß content, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression were increased. The DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, and relative ROR-γt protein expression in the low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group were higher than those in the positive control group, whereas the content of TGF-ß, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression were lower. DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, relative ROR-γt protein expression in the high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group declined in contrast to those in the low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group, while the TGF-ß content, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression rose. There was no significant difference between the positive control group and the high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group. Astragaloside Ⅳ is able to inhibit inflammatory response and diminish the percentage of Th17 cells in mice with UC.

[Analysis of Acanthopanax senticosus harms for different parts using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy].

In the present paper, raw radix, stem and leaf and the total glycoside extract of them of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms were studied via the multi-steps IR macro-fingerprint method. The spectra of raw medicinal materials show that the spectra of radix and stem are similar and mainly show characteristic peaks of calcium oxalate and starch, whereas the characteristic peaks of calcium oxalate of leaf almost disappear and the shape of characteristic peak of starch also gets unconspicuous. The FT-IR spectra of total glycoside extract of radix, stem and leaf present characteristic peaks at 1602, 1514, 1452 cm(-1) (vibration of phenyl framework) and 1271 cm(-1) (==C--O), respectively, therefore, the authors speculated that their mutual component is the compound of phenolic glycoside. Through observing the second derivative IR spectra of the total glycoside extract of different parts of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms, the authors found that the characteristic peak of leaf is stronger than that of radix and stem at 1656 cm(-1) (flavone C==O), this proves that the quantity of component of flavone in the leaf is higher than that in the radix and stem. In the two-dimensional correlation spectra, the radix and stem both have five automatic peaks (vibration of phenyl framework) in 1350-1700 cm(-1), whereas the leaf still shows another automatic peak at 1656 cm(-1) (flavone C==O), and this further proves that the quantity of component of flavone in the leaf is higher than that in the radix and stem.

[Study on the identification of Illicium vatum Hook. f. and illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith by multi-ateps infrared macro-fingerprint method].

Illicium vatum Hook. f. and its counterfeit Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith can be discriminated and identified by using multi-steps infrared maro-fingerprint method. The method combines three steps: general infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), secondary derivative spectroscopy and two dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR). The resolution is getting higher and higher and the differences of spectra are magnified farther. The holistic shape of peaks is similar in the FTIR spectra of Illicium vatum Hook. f. and Illiciumrn lanceolatum A.C. Smith, but the spectra of llicium vatum Hook. f. show only one characteristic peak at 3 392 cm(-1), while the spectra of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith show two characteristic peaks at 3482 and 3387 cm(-1), respectively. Observing their secondary derivative spectra, in the range of 850-1 180 cm(-1) the strongest peak of Ilicium vatum Hook. f. is at 1015 cm(-1) and the intensity of other strong peaks is similar. However, the strongest peak of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith is at 1070 cm(-1). In 1180-1500 cm(-1), the intensity of peaks at 1469, 1454 and 1442 cm(-1) of Ilicium vatumrn Hook. f. is stronger than that of peaks at 1292, 1276, 1266 cm(-1). The status of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith is just opposite. The distinction of 2D-IR correlation spectra is more obvious. In 1165-1500 cm(-1), the stronger automatic peaks of Ilicium vatum Hook. f. present at 1153 and 1000 cm(-1), respectively, but those of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith present at 911 and 878 cm(-1), respectively. In 1165-1500 cm(-1), llicium vatum Hook. f. has two automatic peaks while Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith has five automatic peaks. The multi-steps IR macro-fingerprint method is rapid and effective.