Baicalin inhibits inflammation of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury toll like receptor-4/myeloid differentiation primary response 88/nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and mechanism of baicalin in the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) by and experiments. METHODS: ALI was induced by instilling 10 mg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the airway of rats. Different doses of baicalin (50 and 100 mg·kg ·d) were administered by gavage one day before modeling. RESULTS: Baicalin significantly reduced the permeability of the alveolocapillary membrane, alleviated tissue injury and inflammatory infiltration, and inhibited the secretion of inflammatory factors and the infiltration of neutrophils. The decline in these inflammations was related to the inhibition of the toll like receptor-4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/nod-like receptor pyrin containing 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Baicalin inhibits the secretion of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and the MAPK signaling pathway. Thus, it reduces lung bronchial epithelial layer, alveolar damage, and pulmonary edema as detected in the and experiments. Therefore, baicalin may be a potential preventive and therapeutic drug for ALI.

Adrenal myelolipoma with congenital 17a-hydroxylase deficiency: a pedigree report and review of the literature / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To analyse the clinical and pathological characteristics of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) with adrenal myelolipoma (AML),and to improve the awareness of CAH.Methods The P450c17a gene in a pedigree with CAH and the clinical and pathological characteristics of three sisters of the pedigree with CAH and adrenal myelolipoma were studied;and the pertinent literatures reported abroad were analyzed and summarized.Results (1) A heterozygous point mutation 1178 base A to T in exon 6,and a heterozygous deletion mutation 1 457-1 465 bases TCGACTCTT of exon 8 were detected in P450c17 (CYP17) gene of three sisters of the pedigree with CAH.(2) The clinical characteristics of three sisters were hypertension,hypokalemia,primary amenorrhea,and gonadal dysgenesis.Without regular treatment after the diagnosis of CAH,the three sisters experienced many years of elevated serum ACTH levels,and developed AML.Conclusion The long-term high ACTH level plays an important role in the development of AML,although the exact mechanism of CAH with adrenal myelolipoma remains still unclear.CAH patients require long-term regular treatment.

Protective effects of Radix Pseudostellariae extract against retinal laser injury.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the protective effects of a saponin extract from Radix Pseudostellariae (RP) on retinal laser injury based on a retinal photocoagulation model. METHODS: Fifty-eight rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: Group A (saponin extract orally), Group B (physiological saline), and Group C (control). The animals were sacrificed 1 day, 7 days, 14 days, and 30 days after photocoagulation and lesions were evaluated with fundus photography, light microscopy, and electron microscopy. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured, and expression levels of c-fos and Bax genes were also determined. RESULTS: The lesion sizes in Group A were smaller than in Group B. The levels of SOD in Group B were significantly lower than in groups A and C (P<0.001) at all time points. The MDA levels were significantly lower than in groups B and C (P<0.001) at the 1 month point, while the apoptosis rate of Group A was significantly lower than that of Group B at all time points. The expression levels of the c-fos gene in Group B were significantly higher than that in groups A and C, and expression levels of the Bax gene in Group A were significantly lower than that in groups B and C. CONCLUSION: The saponin extract of RP can inhibit oxidative stress, downregulate the levels of c-fos and Bax gene expression, and inhibit apoptosis in the retina after photocoagulation.

Effects of collagen matrices by covalent incorporation of heparin and loading with huangqi injection (HI) on anagenetic blood vessel / 中国中药杂志

To investigate effects of collagen matrices by covalent incorporation of heparin and loading with huangqi injection (HI) on anagenetic capillaries, we established the chick chorioallantois model. The collagen matrices by covalent incorporation of heparin and loading with HI were placed and then the eggs were continuously incubated for 3 days. The number of capillaries in the vicinity of samples, the hemoglobin content inside the samples, the dry weight and the macroscopic observation were evaluated. We found the heparinized matrices had comparable angiogenic effects. The number of capillaries, the hemoglobin content, the expression of CD34 increased remarkably (P < 0.01). So we concluded that HI might be considered as an alternative or addition agent to promote the acidification of capillaries.

Effect of Astragalus Injection on Aquaporin-1 Expression of Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells in Rats with Peritoneal Dialysis / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To observe the effect of Astragalus Injection(AI) on aquaporin-1(AQP-1) expression of peritoneal mesothelial cells in rats with peritoneal dialysis.Methods Twenty-five male SD rats were divided into the normal control group(N =7),model group(N =9) and AI group(N =9).Except the normal control group,the model group was given intraperitoneal injection of peritoneal dialysate(containing glucose 42.5 g/L),and AI group was given intraperitoneal injection of peritoneal dialysate(containing glucose 42.5 g/L) plus AI(20 mg/mL),25mL/d for 10 continuous days.On the 11th day of experiment,the amount of dialysis ultrafiltration(UF) and net UF,and the concentration ratio of dialysate and plasma sodium(D/PNa) were measured,peritoneal pathological changes were observed with light microscope,and the expression of AQP-1 in peritoneal mesothelial cells was detected with immunohistochemical method.Results When the peritoneal dialysate was kept in the abdominal cavity for 60 min,the amount of UF and Net UF was increased in AI group(P