Effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different doses of ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) pretreatment on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (SCII) in rats and explore the potential mechanisms about the expression of survivin protein after the intervention. METHODS: A total of 90 healthy adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham-operated (n = 15), SCII model (n = 15), and GRb1-treated groups (n = 60). The GRb1-treated group was divided into four subgroups: 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 80 mg/kg (n = 15). The corresponding dose of GRb1 was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before operation and every day after operation. Forty-eight hours after model establishment, the neurological function of hind limbs was measured with Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum and spinal cord tissue were detected respectively. The expression of survivin protein was observed by immunofluorescence staining. HE and TUNEL staining were used to observe neural cell injury and apoptosis, respectively, in the spinal cord of rats with SCII. RESULTS: The intervention of different doses of GRb1 could increase SOD activity and decrease MDA content in serum and spinal cord tissue, increase survivin protein expression, and decrease neuronal apoptosis. It was dose-dependent, but there was no significant change between 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS: GRb1 could reduce the cell apoptosis induced by SCII through inhibiting oxidative stress. It can also inhibit apoptosis by promoting the expression of Survivin protein. Ginsenoside Rb1 had a dose-dependent protective effect on SCII in the dose range of 10 mg/kg-40 mg/kg.

Management of patellar fracture with titanium cable cerclage.

Early rehabilitation after surgery for patellar fracture is challenging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcome of titanium cable cerclage for patellar fracture in early functional activity.We reviewed a series of 24 patients treated at our hospital with titanium cable. Functional exercises were started early. Patients were followed up for at least 12 months.Fifteen were males and 9 were females. Fracture occurred in the right knee in 13 patients and in the left knee in 11 patients. The most common mode of injury involves a tumble. None of the patients presented with any postoperative complications. The management resulted in satisfactory outcomes.Titanium cable cerclage offers a new strategy in treating patellar fracture.

Advances in Biomarkers of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood / 法医学杂志

Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is defined as a mild brain trauma resulting in a short loss of consciousness and alteration of mental status. It may also occasionally develop persistent and progressive symptoms. It has been confirmed that MTBI causes changes of anatomic structures in central nervous system and biomarkers in the body fluid. However, there is no sufficient research on relevance among threshold for the brain injury, individual vulnerability and duration of disturbance of consciousness. Furthermore, there are no reliable diagnostic methods to establish whether a blow to the head is sufficient to cause the brain injury. This review provides references for biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid and blood associated with TBI. It also provides application status and potential prospects for further assessment and diagnosis of MTBI.

Synthesis and hypoglycemic activity of esterified-derivatives of mangiferin / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To synthesize three novel esterified-derivatives of mangiferin and evaluate their hypoglycemic activities.@*METHODS@#Acetic, propionic, and butyric anhydride were reacted with mangiferin, respectively. The hypoglycemic activity of the derivatives was evaluated using a hyperglycemic mouse model induced by streptozotocin (STZ), and the islet cells were checked by biopsy inspection.@*RESULTS@#7, 2', 3', 4', 6'-penta-acetyl-mangiferin (PAM), 3, 6, 7, 2', 3', 4', 6'-hepta-propionyl-mangiferin (HPM) and 3, 6, 7, 2', 3', 4'-hexa-butyryl-mangiferin (HBM) were synthesized and their structures were identified by MS,(1)H, (13)C NMR, and 2D NMR. These three compounds were reported for the first time. PAM group (0.5, 0.25 mmol·kg(-1)), HPM group (0.5, 0.25 mmol·kg(-1)), and HBM group (0.5, 0.25, 0.125 mmol·kg(-1)) mice showed strong hypoglycemic activity (P < 0.01); mangiferin group (1, 0.5 mmol·kg(-1)), PAM group (0.125 mmol·kg(-1)) and HPM group (0.125 mmol·kg(-1)) showed marginal hypoglycemic activity (P < 0.05); mangiferin group (0.25 mmol·kg(-1)) had the potential for a hypoglycemic effect, although it did not demonstrate that statistically. In histological examination, the islet cells of the PAM, HPM, and HBM groups could recover from the STZ damage; islet cells of the mangiferin group could recover also, but less than the esterified-derivative groups.@*CONCLUSION@#Derivatives could repair the damaged islet cells, and had higher lipid-solubility and stronger hypoglycemic activity than mangiferin itself. There existed a structure activity effect, and a solubility effect relationship: the larger esterification moieties, or the higher lipid-solubility, the stronger the hypoglycemic activity (no ester → acetyl → propionyl → butyryl). Esterified derivatives of mangiferin are potential compounds for new anti-diabetes drugs.

Comparative analysis of a highly variable region within the genomes of Spodoptera frugiperda ascovirus 1d (SfAV-1d) and SfAV-1a.

The recently discovered ascoviruses have a worldwide distribution. Here we report a new member of the family Ascoviridae, Spodoptera frugiperda ascovirus 1d (SfAV-1d) with a variable region in the genome. Restriction fragment length polymorphism, Southern hybridization and genome sequencing analyses confirmed that SfAV-1d and the earlier reported SfAV-1a are closely related but are not identical. The genome size of SfAV-1d is approximately 100 kbp, which is about 57 kbp smaller than SfAV-1a. The SfAV-1d genome has a major deletion of 14 kbp that corresponds to one of the inverted repeat (IR) regions of SfAV-1a. Cloning and sequencing revealed that the region flanking the deletion within the SfAV-1d genome is highly variable. In all the variants of this region, the whole IR region is missing, with 88.2 % of the variants missing part of or the whole adjacent SfAV-1a ORF71, 94.1 % missing part of or the whole of adjacent ORF72 and 64.6 % missing part of or the whole of ORF73.

Using host 28S ribosomal RNA as a housekeeping gene for quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) in virus-infected animal cells.

The use of quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) for studying regulation of gene transcription requires an internal template-loading control or a housekeeping gene to guarantee the validity of the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Analysis of gene transcription in virus-infected animal cells is problematic because virus infection often results in modified or fluctuating gene transcription patterns of conventionally used housekeeping genes, such as the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene and the ß-actin gene. It has been demonstrated that the host 28S ribosomal gene can be used as a housekeeping gene in qRT-PCR in virus-infected insect cells. The stability of the human 28S rRNA gene transcription during the infection of HeLa cells with adenovirus has been confirmed, and this method has been extended to the use of the human 28S rRNA gene as a housekeeping gene in adenovirus-infected HeLa cells. Step-by-step instructions are described for use of this control in analysis of gene transcription in both types of virus-infected animal cells.

Strategy of the use of 28S rRNA as a housekeeping gene in real-time quantitative PCR analysis of gene transcription in insect cells infected by viruses.

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) has been used widely to measure gene transcription regulation in cells. qRT-PCR must include one or more internal housekeeping genes to normalize data collection. A strategy to use the host cell 28S rRNA as a housekeeping gene in qRT-PCR analysis of gene transcription of insect cells infected by baculovirus and ascovirus was developed. It has been found that the 28S rRNA reverse primer can be incorporated in the oligo-dT-primed cDNA synthesis reaction. In such a way, amplification of 28S cDNA showed lower and less variable cycle thresholds in cells infected by viruses than by using only oligo-dT and other published housekeeping genes such as the TATA box binding protein (TBP) gene, the peptidyl prolyl isomerase A (PPI) gene and the ribosomal protein 13 (L13) gene. Incorporation of the 28S reverse primer in oligo-dT-primed cDNA synthesis also does not interfere with the detection of other polymerase II transcribed genes.

Experimental study on antidiabetic effect of the total flavonoids in Leucaena seeds / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the hypoglycemic effect of the total flavonoids in Leucaena seeds(TF).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Experimental observation was performed by using various diabetic mice induced by alloxan, adrenalin, etc.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>TF could significantly lower the blood glucose levels in Alloxan model mice, adrenalin model mice and hyperglycemic mice, while had no hypoglycemic effect on the normal mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The total flavonoids in Leucaena seeds has hypoglycemic effect in diabetic model mice.</p>

RP-HPLC determination of mangiferin in the leafs of Folium mangiferae sampled in different months and regions / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop a new method for determination of Mangiferin in the leafs of Folium mangiferae. By this new method, Mangiferin in F. mangiferae sampled in different months and in different regions was determinated.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A RP-HPLC method was set up, using Shim pack CLC-ODS column, methanol-0.05 mol.L-1 H3PO4(65:134, pH 3.5) as mobile phase, with 258 nm of detection wave, at room temperature, 1 mL.min-1. F. mangiferae sampled in Nanning, Qinzhou and Tianyang, Guangxi province and sampled respectively in January to December were determinated.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The average recovery of the RP-HPLC was 99.2%, RSD = 1.05% (n = 5). The content of Mangiferin in F. mangiferae was statistically different due to different sample-regions or sample-time.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This RP-HPLC method is simple, specific and exact. The contents of Mangiferin in the leafs of F. mangiferae sample in Nanning and Tinayang were statistically similar, but higher than that in Qinzhou. The contents of Mangiferin in the leafs of F. mangiferae sampled in July to October were higher than that in the other months. The content in September was the highest, the content in February was the lowest.</p>