The Effect and Mechanism of Fructus lycii on Improvement of Exercise Fatigue Using a Network Pharmacological Approach with in vitro Experimental Verification.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of Fructus lycii in improving exercise fatigue. Methods: A network pharmacological approach was used to explore potential mechanisms of action of Fructus lycii. Skeletal muscle C2C12 cells and immunofluorescence were employed to verify the effect and mechanism of the representative components in Fructus lycii predicted by network pharmacological analysis. Results: Six potential active components, namely quercetin, ß-sitosterol, stigmasterol, 7-O-methylluteolin-6-C-beta-glucoside_qt, atropine, and glycitein, were identified to have potency in improving exercise fatigue via multiple pathways, such as the PI3K-Akt, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, IL-17, TNF, and MAPK signaling pathways. The immunofluorescence results indicated that quercetin, a significant active component in Fructus lycii, increased the mean staining area of 2-NBDG, TMRM, and MitoTracker, and decreased the area of CellRox compared to the control. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of p-38 MAPK, p-MAPK, p-JNK, p-PI3K, and p-AKT markedly increased after quercetin treatment. Conclusion: Fructus lycii might alleviate exercise fatigue through multiple components and pathways. Among these, quercetin appears to improve exercise fatigue by enhancing energy metabolism and reducing oxidative stress. The PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways also appear to play a role in this process.

Fructus lycii oligosaccharide alleviates acute liver injury via PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Regulating the immune-environment is essential for treating acute liver injury (ALI). However, the deficiency of an effective immune balancer restricted progress. Herein, we reported an oligosaccharide from Fructus lycii oligosaccharide (FLO). To investigate the effects of FLO, we adopted primary macrophages and LO2 for experiments in vitro. In vivo, we assessed the influence of FLO in ALI with histochemical staining and enzyme indicators detection. Following that, we clarified the underlying mechanisms using western blotting and immunofluorescence. Our results indicated that FLO (100 µg/mL) showed apparent inflammatory reversal effects by shifting the phenotype of macrophages from M1 to M2 without causing any cytotoxicity. Furthermore, CCl4-induced mice were significantly improved by FLO intragastric administration. Meanwhile, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was confirmed for the up-regulation of IL-10 via M2 polarization of macrophages. Collectively, our findings highlight the beneficial effects of FLO on ALI therapy via M1 to M2 macrophage conversion.

The Effect and Mechanism of Fructus lycii on Improvement of Exercise Fatigue Using a Network Pharmacological Approach with in vitro Experimental Verification / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of Fructus lycii in improving exercise fatigue.@*METHODS@#A network pharmacological approach was used to explore potential mechanisms of action of Fructus lycii. Skeletal muscle C2C12 cells and immunofluorescence were employed to verify the effect and mechanism of the representative components in Fructus lycii predicted by network pharmacological analysis.@*RESULTS@#Six potential active components, namely quercetin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, 7-O-methylluteolin-6-C-beta-glucoside_qt, atropine, and glycitein, were identified to have potency in improving exercise fatigue via multiple pathways, such as the PI3K-Akt, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, IL-17, TNF, and MAPK signaling pathways. The immunofluorescence results indicated that quercetin, a significant active component in Fructus lycii, increased the mean staining area of 2-NBDG, TMRM, and MitoTracker, and decreased the area of CellRox compared to the control. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of p-38 MAPK, p-MAPK, p-JNK, p-PI3K, and p-AKT markedly increased after quercetin treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#Fructus lycii might alleviate exercise fatigue through multiple components and pathways. Among these, quercetin appears to improve exercise fatigue by enhancing energy metabolism and reducing oxidative stress. The PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways also appear to play a role in this process.

Fructus Lycii and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract attenuate oxidative stress-induced photoreceptor ferroptosis in retinitis pigmentosa.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To assess the impact of Fructus Lycii and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract (FSE) on retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and to explore the mechanisms by which FSE can prevent oxidative stress-induced photoreceptor ferroptosis in RP. METHODS: Hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) was used to induce oxidative stress in 661 W cells, which were then examined using flow cytometry and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Changes in mitochondria were observed by using an electron microscope to characterize the ferroptosis of the cells. The protective effect of FSE on the retina function and structure of rd10 mice was evaluated using histopathological examination, fundus photographs, and electroretinography (ERG). Protein expression levels of Tumor Protein p53 (P53), Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11 (SLC7A11), Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), Arachidonate-12-Lipoxygenase (ALOX12), and Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) were evaluated by Western blot assays in Vivo and in Vitro. RESULTS: H2O2-induced 661 W cells increased oxidative stress products and P53 and ALOX12, decreasing the expression of SLC7A11, GPX4, and DPP4. GPX4 activator does not reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and has little effect on ferroptosis. Fer-1 and FSE attenuate ROS generation and inhibit ferroptosis of photoreceptors in RP via inhibited P53 expression and increased SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression. CONCLUSION: FSE may be available in clinical therapeutics to alleviating RP and the mechanism by which inhibits ferroptosis of photoreceptors following oxidative stress via the P53/ SLC7A11 pathway.

Mechanism of Fructus Lycii against dry eye: an analysis based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To explore the mechanism of fructus lycii in treating dry eye based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.METHODS: Taking “fructus lycii” as key words, the active ingredients and target of fructus lycii were searched by using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). Gene targets related to dry eye(DE)were searched by GeneCards and OMIM databases. The target genes of fructus lycii and DE were imported into Venn software to obtain the intersection target map of them. After that, the data were imported into the String database to obtain the PPI protein-protein interaction network diagram. Using Cytoscape3.7.2 software, the PPI protein-protein interaction network diagram was constructed for active ingredients, target sites and related diseases of fructus lycii. The Bioconductor platform and R language were used for gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis. And the key targets in the pathogenesis of DE were verified by experiments.RESULTS: Through TCMSP, 45 types of effective chemical components of fructus lycii, 174 target genes corresponding to active components and 131 common target genes with DE were screenedout. In accordance with the network topology of “drug-composition-disease-target”, 27 main effective components of fructus lycii were found in the treatment of DE. The PPI network was analyzed according to the high degree value, which is the key targets of fructus lycii for DE treatment, mainly including AKT1, VEGFA, CASP3, IL1B, JUN, PTGS2, CXCL8, etc. According to GO enrichment analysis, 166 biological functions and processes of fructus lycii for DE treatment were obtained. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that 31 signaling pathways were involved. Additionally, experimental verification displayed that the protein expressions of AKT1, interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)and IL-17 in conjunctiva tissue of the DE model group were significantly increased.CONCLUSIONS: Through network pharmacology, this study confirmed that the treatment of DE by fructus lycii is a complex process involving multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways, and that the treatment of DE by fructus lycii is mainly regulated by anti-inflammatory and apoptosis-related molecules.

Exploration of the Effect and Mechanism of Fructus Lycii, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, and Paeonia lactiflora in the Treatment of AMD Based on Network Pharmacology and in vitro Experimental Verification.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to observe the mechanism of Fructus Lycii (FL), Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP) and Paeonia lactiflora (PL) in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on network pharmacology and biological experiments. METHODS: Bioactive compounds, potential targets of FL, RRP and PL, and genes related to AMD, were acquired from public databases. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets were conducted by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Subsequently, the finding was further verified with cell experiments. The MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis were used to assess cell viability and apoptosis. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was analyzed by DCFH-DA staining; the activity of antioxidant enzymes was chemically measured with assay kits. The expression of key proteins was evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-nine active compounds, 182 potential targets, and 2536 AMD-related human genes were identified. A total of 103 key targets of the three herbs on AMD were identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. The abovementioned targets were correlated with nuclear receptor activity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis pathways according to the GO and KEGG analyses. MTT assay and flow cytometry demonstrated that pretreatment of ARPE-19 cells with the three herbs significantly increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis induced by H2O2. The three herbs might reduce the intracellular ROS levels and increase the SOD and CAT activities after H2O2. Furthermore, the three herbs significantly inhibited oxidative stress via increasing the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and NQO1. CONCLUSION: The combined results of network pharmacology and validation experiments showed that FL, RRP and PL reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis in RPE cells to exert its effect in the treatment of AMD.

Fructus Lycii and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract alleviate retinitis pigmentosa through Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fructus Lycii and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (FS) are popular Chinese herbs for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was to evaluate protective effects of FS extract on RP and to explore whether FS extract exerts its protective effects via oxidative stress by regulating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. MATERIAL AND METHODS: FS extract were identified by UPLC chromatographic analysis. Rd10 mice as the model of RP, followed by a 4-week FS extract treatment by intragastric administration. After the animal sacrifice, histopathological examination and Scotopic electroretinography (ERG) analysis were assessed. The oxidative stress markers were determined and the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The expression and distribution of Nrf2 and HO-1 protein were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The morphological changes of Outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness and number of the ONL were observed with a significant increased, and the functional changes of a-amplitude and b-wave amplitude were measured with a markedly increased. Treatment with FS extract remarkably increased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and decreased level of malondialdehyde (MDA). Moreover, FS extract up-regulated mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that FS extract can improve retinal morphology and function, which may have occurred through the regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit the oxidative reaction.

Semen Cuscutae-Fructus Lycii improves spermatogenic dysfunction by repairing the blood-testis barrier in rats according to in silico and in vitro methods.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Semen Cuscutae and Fructus Lycii (SC-FL) is a commonly used herbal pair for male infertility treatment. Studies have found that the mechanism of SC-FL treatment may be related to repairing the blood-testis barrier (BTB). The application of network pharmacology can be used to explore the correlation between medicines and diseases and predict the potential pharmacological mechanisms of SC-FL. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to explore the specific effects and mechanisms of SC-FL in repairing the BTB and initially revealed the mechanism of Chinese medicine treating male infertility through network pharmacology and animal experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched databases using the network pharmacology method and performed mass spectrometry analysis. We analyzed and predicted the active ingredients, targets and key pathways of SC-FL in male infertility treatment. Then, we designed animal experiments to verify the results. Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (NC group), spermatogenic dysfunction group (SD group) and SC-FL treatment group (SCFL group). Glucosides of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F (GTW) (40 mg/kg/d) was administered for 4 weeks to generate a spermatogenic dysfunction model. The rats in the SCFL group were given the SC-FL suspension (6 g/kg/d) daily. After 4 weeks of treatment, we detected the sperm quality of each group of rats and observed the cell morphology. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression of BTB-related proteins in testicular tissues. RESULTS: 213 chemical ingredients of SC and FL were retrieved from the TCMSP database, and 54 effective chemical ingredients were obtained. Mass spectrometry analysis showed the above results were credible. Then, we identified 44 potential targets for the treatment of male infertility, and we plotted a network diagram of the interaction network between the core targets and a diagram of herbal medicine-active ingredient-target-disease interactions. The target genes were enriched according to biological functions, and 22 biological processes, 49 cellular components, 1487 molecular functions, and 122 signaling pathways were obtained. The results of the animal experiments showed that the sperm concentration and motility of the SCFL group were significantly improved compared with those of the SD group. Compared with those in the SD group, the structure and morphology of the Sertoli cells and seminiferous tubules of rats in the SCFL group improved, and the number of spermatogenic cells increased significantly. Western blotting and qRT-PCR results showed that compared with that in the SD group, the expression of p38 MAPK decreased significantly, and the expression of c-Jun, Occludin, ZO-1 and connexin 43 increased significantly in the SCFL group. CONCLUSION: We predicted that the active ingredients of SC-FL can treat male infertility by interacting with the core targets JUN, IL6, MAPK1, TP53, MYC, CCND1, AR, EGF, FOS, and MAPK8, and the possible mechanism is related to the MAPK signaling pathway. SC-FL can regulate the MAPK pathway and affect the expression of Occludin, ZO-1 and connexin 43 to repair damaged BTB and improve spermatogenic dysfunction induced by GTW, which may be one of the possible mechanisms.

Fructus lycii: A Natural Dietary Supplement for Amelioration of Retinal Diseases.

Fructus lycii (F. lycii) is an exotic "berry-type" fruit of the plant Lycium barbarum that is characterized by a complex mixture of bioactive compounds distinguished by their high antioxidant potential. F. lycii is used in traditional Chinese home cooking and in the Chinese Pharmacopeia as an aid to vision and longevity as well as a remedy for diabetes to balance "yin" and "yang" in the body for about two centuries. Although a myriad of bioactive compounds have been isolated from F. lycii, polysaccharides, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolics represent the key functional components of F. lycii. F. lycii has been shown to exhibit a wide range of biological activities in experimental settings including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and neuroprotective effects. Despite its medicinal role dating back to the eighteenth century in the Far East and robust evidence of beneficial effects on ocular health and retinal diseases originating mainly from studies in animal models, the role of F. lycii in the clinical management of retinal diseases is yet to be established. This article comprehensively reviews the literature germane to F. lycii and retinal diseases with particular emphasis on age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa, which are commonly seen in clinical practice.

A combination of Semen Cuscutae and Fructus Lycii improves testicular cell proliferation and inhibits their apoptosis in rats with spermatogenic dysfunction by regulating the SCF/c-kit--PI3K--Bcl-2 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Semen Cuscutae is the seed of Cuscuta japonica Choisy, and Fructus Lycii is the mature fruit of Lycium barbarum L. (Solanaceae). Semen Cuscutae and Fructus Lycii (SC-FL) are well-known Chinese medicine which have been used to tonify the kidney and replenish the essence for thousands of years. Chinese physicians prefer to prescribe them for treating male infertility. Recent studies have found that SC-FL repair spermatogenic dysfunction, however, the therapeutic mechanism has yet to be clearly elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed at evaluating the therapeutic effect of SC-FL in glucosides of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f (GTW)-induced dyszoospermia rats and elucidating the underlying molecular mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight Sprague-Dauley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control (treated with saline), GTW (treated with saline), GTW + levocarnitine (treated with levocarnitine), GTW + SCFL (treated with SC-FL), and LY (LY294002, the PI3K inhibitor) +SCFL (treated with SC-FL). GTW (40 mg/kg/d) was intragastrically administered for 4 weeks to establish dyszoospermia model. From the start of the study, LY was additionally injected into the tail vein of rats of the LY + SCFL group once a week. After 8 weeks, semen quality and organ coefficient were determined and sex hormone, inhibin B, and epididymal carnitine levels were measured. Testicular tissue and its ultrastructure were observed using H&E (hematoxylin-eosin) staining and electron microscopy. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression of SCF, c-kit, PI3K, p-Akt, Bad, Bcl-2, and Bax in rat testis. RESULTS: Compared with the GTW group, semen quality, the organ coefficient, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and epididymal carnitine levels were significantly improved in the GTW + SCFL group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Histomorphology and testicular ultrastructural evaluation showed that in the GTW + SCFL group, the structure and arrangement of seminiferous tubules were better, the amount of spermatogenic cells increased significantly, the morphology of spermatogenic cells improved, and the mitochondria increased, compared to those in the GTW group. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the GTW group, the expression of SCF, c-kit, PI3K, p-Akt, and Bcl-2 in the GTW + SCFL group was increased, while that of Bax and Bad was decreased. The expression of p-Akt and Bcl-2 decreased, while that of Bad and Bax increased in the LY + SCFL group compared with the SCFL group. CONCLUSION: SC-FL can effectively inhibit spermatogenic cell apoptosis and promote their proliferation, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of the SCF/c-kit--PI3K--Bcl-2 pathway.

Analysis of the volatile oil in fructus lycii(Lycium barbarum L.) by GC-MS and HELP method / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) technology combined with Heuristic evolving latent projections (HELP) method were used to qualitatively analyze the volatile oil of fructus lycii (Lycium barbarumL.)Methods With the best temperature-programmed chromatographic condition, overlapping peaks among the total ion chromatogram were separated. Then an automatic mass spectral deconvolution and identification system (AMDIS) was used to identify volatile components comprehensively. Finally, the pure chromatographic peaks were matched with NIST 05a mass spectra library for giving the precise qualitative result. Results Totally, 29 compounds in fructus lycii (Lycium barbarum L.) were identified accurately.Conclusions Compared with the traditional qualitative analysis method, the new established method which GC-MS technology combined with HELP could get tremendous advantages. It not merely enhanced the accuracy of identification but also solved the bottleneck of handling the inseverable compounds.

Selection of the quality control ingredients based on absorption of multicomponent in Fructus Lycii / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To select the components for quality control of Fructus Lycii based on the absorption of its extract. Methods To investigate metabolism of components of Fructus Lycii, everted rat gut sacs was carried out as well as the blood was taken from abdominal aorta,.and all samples were analysised by HPLC. Results There are twelve constituents absorbed between ileum and jejunum of rat , and four constituents were detected in the blood. Compound 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 were absorbed in prototype forms in the intestine directly,and compound 1, 7, 8, 12 were new ones. On the other hand, four compositions(3, 7, 10, 13)could be absorbed into blood through analysis serum samples obtaining from aorta abdominalis of rats. Two of them (3, 10)could be absorbed directly by intestine, while(7)was absorbed into blood in new form . Conclusion Based on the intestinal absorption experiment and analysion of compsition in blood, components (3, 10, 13) can be the quality control ingredients of Fructus Lycii.

Combined therapeutic effects of Huaiqihuang and Montelukast sodium on airway inflammation and expression of IL-17 in asthmatic rat / 中国医师杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Montelukast combined with Huang Qi Huai in the treatment of asthma.MethodsForty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were chosen and randomly divided into five groups:control group (Control),model group (Model),Montelukast group (MK),Huang Qi Huai group (H),Montelukast + Huang Qi Huai group (MK + H),each group has 8 rats.The other four groups except the control group were built to chronic rat asthma model.The treatment groups were administered intragastrically with Montelukast,Huang Qi Huai and Montelukast + Huang Qi Huai respectively.All animals were sacrificod; plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and superior lobe of right lung tissues were collected.Superior lobes of right lung tissues were used to measure the expression of IL-17 in lung tissue by immunohistochemistry.The airway inflammation was analyzed by histochemistry staining with H.E.Total cells score and differential score in BALF were counted.The levels of IL-17 in the plasma and BALF were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsCompared with the control group,the degree of inflammatory cell around the airway in the model group were significantly higher (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group model,the degree of inflammatory cell around the airway in the Group MK,group H and group MK + H were significantly ameliorated ( P ＜0.05).Compared with Group MK,the degree of inflammatory cell around the airway in group MK + H was significantly ameliorated ( P ＜O.05),the expression of IL-17 in lung tissues was significantly lower ( P ＜0.05),the numbers of total cells and the concentration of IL-17 in plasma and BALF were decreased too ( P ＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the level of IL-17 in the plasma and BALF was positively correlated with the level of IL-17 in the lung tissue( P ＜ 0.05 ).ConclusionsCombined Huang Qi Huai adjuvant Montelukast treatment of asthmatic rat further reduced the concentration of IL-17 in the plasma and BALF,reduced the expression of IL-17 in lung tissue,improved the airway inflammation.Down regulation the expression of IL-17 was probably one of the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory.

Anti-aging effect of polypeptides from Fructus Lycii on D-gal nduced aging model mice and the possible mechanism / 国际药学研究杂志

Objective: To study the anti-aging effect of polypeptides from Fructus Lycii(PFL) on D-galactose(D-gal) induced aging model mice and the possible mechanism. Methods: Sixty ICR mice were randomly divided nto normal control group, D-gal induced model group, PFL 200, 400 and 800 mg/(kg · d) groups and vitamin E(VitE) 100 mg/(kg · d) group. D-gal aging mouse model was established by cervicodorsal region subcutaneous injection with D-gal(10 mg/kg) once a day for five successive weeks. In the meantime, drugs were given by intragastric administration respectively n PFL and Vit E treatment groups. The effect of PFL on learning and memory ability of mice was observed. After 5 weeks, the superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity, malondialdehyde(MDA) content and telomerase activity in serum, heart, liver and brain tissues of mice were measured. Results: Compared with normal control group, for aging model mice, the weight increasement declined, the number of errors in step-down test increased, the SOD and tolemerase activities in serum heart, liver and brain tissues dropped, and the MDA content was raised, P<0.01. Compared with model group, for the mice in PFL and VitE treatment groups, the weight increasement rised(P<0.01), the error number in step-down test decreased(P<0.05), the SOD activity in serum, heart, liver and brain tissues enhanced, and the MDA content reduced (P<0.01). The telomerase activity in serum and heart of 400, 800 mg/(kg · d) PFL and VitE treatment groups also increased significantly than model group, while that in liver and brain did not change. Conclusion: PFL have anti-aging effect on D-gal induced aging mice, and the action mechanism is related to the increasement of SOD activity, the decreasement of MDA content in serum, heart, liver and brain of D-gal aging mice, and the increasement of telomerase activity in serum and heart.

Effects and mechanism of Fructus lycii on renal calcium oxalate stone formation in rats / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective To investigate the effects and possible mechanism of Fructus lycii on renal calcium oxalate stone formation in rats. Methods Wistar rats were divided into several groups according to different stone inducer (cigarette smoking, ethylene glycol solution drinking or combination of both), either Fructus lycii infusion interference or not and different interfering concentrations (10% and 25%). Besides, a blank control group was set. After treatment for 40 d, 24 h urine was collected, and renal tissue samples were obtained. The concentrations of calcium, oxalate and citric acid in urine were measured. The deposit condition of calcium oxalate crystals in nephric tubules was observed and scored. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activity of total-superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in renal tissues were detected. Apoptosis cells in kidney were observed with TUNEL staining, and index of apoptosis was calculated. Results Compared with blank control group, the urine calcium concentration in group of combination of cigarette smoking and ethylene glycol solution drinking were significantly higher (P<0.01), the scores of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tubules, the levels of MDA in renal tissues and the index of apoptosis of renal tubule epithelial cells in groups of ethylene glycol solution drinking and combination with smoking were higher, while the concentrations of citric acid in urine and activity of T-SOD in renal tissues were lower. Ten percent and 25% Fructus lycii infusion significantly decreased the urine concentrations of calcium in group of combination of cigarette smoking and ethylene glycol solution drinking (P<0.01), decreased the scores of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tubules, the levels of MDA in renal tissues and the index of apoptosis of renal tubule epithelial cells in groups of ethylene glycol solution drinking and combination with smoking, and increased the concentrations of citric acid in urine and activity of T-SOD in renal tissues. There was no significant dose-effect relationship between two concentrations of Fructus lycii infusion. Conclusion Fructus lycii infusion can effectively inhibit the formation of renal calcium oxalate stone in rats with smoking and/or ethylene glycol drinking by reducing the free radicals and apoptosis of renal tissue, decreasing the concentration of elements for stone formation and increasing the concentration of elements for inhibition of stone formation in urine.

Quality Standard Research of Guishen Pills / 中药新药与临床药理

Objective To establish the quality standard of Guishen Pills.Methods The qualitative analysis of Cortex Eucommiae and Fructus Lycii in Guishen Pills was carried out by TLC,and the content of loganin in Guishen Pills was determined by HPLC.Results The chromatographic spots of Cortex Eucommiae and Fructus Lycii were identified without the interference of negative control.A linearity of loganin was obtained from 0.188 ?g to 0.940 ?g with a good correlation(r=0.999 8,n=6).The average recovery was 99.00 % and the RSD was 1.02 %.Conclusion The qualitative and quantitative methods established in this study are simple,feasible,accurate and reproducible,and can be used as the quality control standard for Guishen Pills.

Study on quality standard for Qiankun Liquid / 中成药

Objective: To establish the quality standard for Qiankun Liquid.Methods: Fructus Lycii、Fructus Cnidii、Radix Ginseng in Qiankun Liquid were identified by TLC, and the content of icariin was determined by HPLC.Results: Fructus Lycii、Fructus Cnidii、Radix Ginseng could be identified by TLC. Icariin showed a good linear relationship at a range of 0.126～1.008?g, r =0.9999. Conclusion: The method is accurate and can be used for the quality control of Qiankun Liquid.