[Correlation between drug-induced liver injury in rats caused by Xianling Gubao oral preparation and extraction process].

In light of the liver injury risk associated with the oral administration of Xianlin Gubao oral preparation, this study compared the differences in liver injury induced by two different extraction processes in rats and explored the correlation between hepatotoxicity and extraction process from the perspective of the differences in the content of the relevant components. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group, tablet extract groups of different doses, and capsule extract groups of different doses, with 6 rats in each group. Each group received continuous oral administration for 4 weeks. The assessment of liver injury caused by different extracts was conducted by examining rat body weight, liver function blood biochemical indicators, liver coefficient, and liver pathological changes. In addition, a high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) method was established to simultaneously determine the content of icariin, baohuoside I, and bakuchiol in the extracts to compare the differences in the content of these three components under the two extraction processes. The results showed that both extracts caused liver injury in rats. Compared with the normal group, the tablet extract groups, at the studied dose, led to slow growth in body weight, a significant increase in triglyceride levels(P<0.05), a significant decrease in liver-to-brain ratio(P<0.05), and the appearance of hepatic steatosis. The capsule extract groups, at the studied dose, resulted in slow growth in body weight, a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase levels(P<0.05), a significant decrease in body weight, liver weight, and liver-to-brain ratio(P<0.05), and the presence of hepatic steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. In comparison, the capsule extraction process had a higher risk of liver injury. Furthermore, based on the completion of the liquid chromatography method, the content of icariin and baohuoside Ⅰ in the capsule extract groups was 0.83 and 0.81 times that in the tablet extract groups, respectively, while the bakuchiol content in the capsule extract group was 29.80 times that in the tablet extract groups, suggesting that the higher risk of liver injury associated with the capsule extraction process may be due to its higher bakuchiol content. In summary, the differences in rat liver injury caused by the two extracts are closely related to the extraction process. This should be taken into consideration in the formulation production and clinical application.

Levels of serum acylation-stimulating protein and C3 in children with primary nephrotic syndrome / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study serum acylation-stimulating protein (ASP) and complement 3 (C3) levels and their relationship with blood lipids in children with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples were obtained from 35 PNS children with proteinuria, 25 children with PNS at remission and 35 body mass index-matched healthy children (control group). Fasting serum ASP, C3, albumin and blood lipids were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum ASP levels in the proteinuria group (101 ± 22 nmol/L) were significantly higher than those in the remission group (32 ± 8 nmol/L) and the control group (33 ± 8 nmol/L) (P<0.01). Serum C3 levels were not significantly different among the three groups. The serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B increased, in contrast, serum albumin level decreased significantly in the proteinuria group when compared with the remission and the control groups. Serum ASP levels were positively correlated with serum C3 (r=0.661; P<0.05) and triglyceride levels (r=0.354; P<0.05), whereas serum C3 levels were not correlated with serum triglyceride levels (r=0.319, P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The increased serum ASP level may be associated with a complemental mechanism against hyperlipidemia in children with PNS.</p>

Study on serum proteome of rat endotoxemia treated by figwort root / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the serum proteome of rat endotoxemia treated by figwort root (FR).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The differences of serum proteome among rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), FR, LPS + FR and saline respectively were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) assay.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The volumes of sixteen serum proteins (xPr) in LPS induced-endotoxemia group were greatly changed compared with those of the control group. Among them, the volumes of xPr 16, 19 were significantly decreased, and the volumes of xPr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 18, 23 were significantly increased. When treated with FR, the volumes of xPr 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 18, 23 were significantly decreased, and the volumes of xPr 8, 9, 11, 12, 23, 14 were back to normal level. Two factors statistic analysis showed that FR had interaction with LPS for xPr 1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and FR might be the functional antagonist of LPS. We also observed that the volumes of xPr 10, 13, 15, 20, 21, 22 were found to change significantly only in FR treated group but not in LPS treated group or control group. Interestingly, the volume of xPr 13, 20, 21, 22 were increased and the volume of xPr 10, 15 were decreased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The molecular basis of therapeutic effect of FR on endotoxemia might be through the regulation of xPr 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 18, 23. We can use proteomic techniques to study the molecular mechanisms of diseases treated by functional Chinese herbs and the combination of different herbs is necessary for the treatment of endotoxemia, as FR can not regulated all the changed proteins induced by LPS.</p>