Insights into the Roles of Natural Killer Cells in Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is now widely acknowledged as a low-grade inflammatory condition, in which the intrinsic immune system plays a significant role in its pathogenesis. While the involvement of macrophages and T cells in the development of OA has been extensively reviewed, recent research has provided mounting evidence supporting the crucial contribution of NK cells in both the initiation and advancement of OA. Accumulated evidence has emerged in recent years indicating that NK cells play a critical role in OA development and progression. This review will outline the ongoing understanding of the utility of NK cells in the etiology of OA, focusing on how NK cells interact with chondrocytes, synoviocytes, osteoclasts, and other immune cells to influence the course of OA disease.

[Progress in study of spectrum-effect relationship of traditional Chinese medicine and discussions].

Spectrum-effect relationship of traditional Chinese medicine is a scientific method based on fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine, which studied the correlations between fingerprint and activity. The method revealed the activity related peaks and clarified the active components. It provided directions and thoughts for the clarification of pharmacodynamic material basis and establishment of evaluation method to reflect the inherent quality of traditional Chinese medicine. In this text we would make a systematic review about the progress in the study of spectrum-effect relationship of traditional Chinese medicine after summarized the latest years of investigations from researchers at home and abroad, including the establishment of fingerprint, efficacy evaluation, and data processing. The key problems in each part were clarified and corresponding discussions were made, providing thoughts and advices for the following study of spectrum-effect relationship of traditional Chinese medicine. At last we made a expecting on the development trend of spectrum-effect relationship of traditional Chinese medicine.

Isolation of a new flavanone from Daidai fruit and hypolipidemic activity of total flavonoids extracts.

In order to further discover the medicinal value of Daidai fruit, an exploration on the hypolipidemic activity of total flavonoids extracts of Daidai fruit (TFEODF) was conducted in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipemia rats. Results indicated that TFEODF exhibited significant hypolipidemic activity which resulted in the decline of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, arteriosclerosis index and rise of high density lipoprotein cholesterol in hyperlipemia rats. For the purpose of expounding the chemical constituents of TFEODF, a phytochemical investigation of TFEODF was carried out for the first time. Research resulted in the isolation of a new compound together with 17 known compounds. This study lay a foundation for the development of a new hypolipidemic agent of traditional Chinese medicine whose chemical constituents were clarified.

[Studies on pharmacokinetics features of characteristic active ingredients of daidai flavone extract in different physiological status].

In order to explore the clinical hypolipidemic features of Daidai flavone extract, the pharmacokinetics features of characteristic active ingredients of Daidai flavone extract in normal and hyperlipemia rats were studied and compared. The study established the quantitative determination method of naringin and neohesperidin in plasma by UPLC-MS. Study compared the pharmacokinetics differences of naringin and noehesperidin in normal and hyperlipemia rats on the basis of establishment of hyperlipemia model. Results indicated that the pharmacokinetics features of characteristic active ingredients of Daidai flavone extract in normal and hyperlipemia rats showed significant differences. The C(max) of naringin and neohesperidin in hyperlipemia rats plasma after oral administration of Daidai flavone extract increased obviously, while t1/2, MRT and AUC0-24 h decreased, compared to normal rats. But t(max) showed no differences to that of normal rats. The results further proved Daidai flavone extract would have better hypolipidemic effect in the hyperlipemia pathological status. And the characteristic active ingredients naringin and noehesperidin were the material base of Daidai flavone extract to express the hypolipidemic effect.