AIM　To investigate the structures and immunomodulation activity of four homogeneous polysaccharides: LBP 1a-1, LBP 1a-2, LBP 3a-1 and LBP 3a-2 isolated from Lycium barbarum L. brought from Zhongning County, Ningxia Province. METHODS　Their molecular weights, sugar component (constituents) and their linkages were determined by gel permeation chromatography, acid hydrolysis, periodate oxidation and NMR spectrum. The activity of immunomodulation was evaluated with splenocyte proliferation by ［3H］-TDR incorperation, in vitro. RESULTS　Four polysaccharides with molecular weights 11.5×104, 9.4×104, 10.3×104 and 8.2×104, were shown to enhance splenocyte proliferation induced by ConA. LBP 1a-1 and LBP 1a-2 were α-(1→6)-D-glucans. LBP 3a-1 and LBP 3a-2 were found to be α-(1→4)-D-polygalacturonans. CONCLUSION　The four polysaccharides were first isolated from this plant. Polysaccharides with main chain of α-(1→4)-D-polygalacturonans showed stronger immunomodulation activity.

An improved everted gut sac method was applied to the study of prescription compatibility effect on the major components in Danshen extracts. With the separation and detection by HPLC-ECD, 5 major peaks could be detected in intestinal absorbed solution after prescription administration. Following the identification by HPLC-MS/MS, peak 2, 3, 4, and 5 were rosmaric acid, lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid B, and salvianolic acid A, respectively, which also confirmed with reference standards of those components. Through paralleling substance identification, peak 2, 3, 4, and 5 could be found as the major components in Danshen extracts, except Salvianolic acid E which is undetectable in intestinal solution. The contents of peak 2, 3, and 4 did not show difference before and after compatible prescription administrated, where the peak 5 had a significant increase in the same process. Those results revealed that peak 5, salvianolic acid A, might lead to an increasing pharmacological effect after prescription compatibility.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of tetrahydropalmatine, dehydrocorydaline, berberine and palmatine on anoxia and peroxidation injuries in cardiomyocytes, and study the marterial basis of the anti-ischemia effect on myocardium of Rhizoma Corydalis.

METHODNeonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cultured in vitro, and subjected to an anoxia-reoxia and the hydrogen peroxide injury models. The four compounds were added into the culture medium. The cell viability was measured by MTT method to determine the safe concentrations and the anti-hydrogen peroxide injury effects of the compounds. The LDH activity in culture mediums was measured with the enzyme reaction dynamics-monitoring method to value the anti-anoxia injury effects of the compounds.

RESULTAt most up to 500 mg x L(-1), tetrahydropalmatine showed no sinificant effect on the cell viability, while dehydrocorydaline, berberine and palmatine significantly decreased the cell viability, exceeding 6.3, 0.6 and 6.3 mg x L(-1), respectively (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Tetrahydropalmatine, dehydrocorydaline, berberine and palmatine significantly inhibited LDH leakage induced by anoxia-reoxia injury, at concentrations of 50-100, 1.25-5, 4 and 30 mg x L(-1), respectively (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). None of the four compounds showed significant effect on the hydrogen peroxide injury.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-ischemia effect in myocardium of Rhizoma Corydalis is related to the direct protective effects on cardiomyocytes of its components, tetrahydropalmatine, dehydrocorydaline, berberine and palmatine, amomg which tetrahydropalmatine and dehydrocorydaline are the most important, the former with high safety and low efficacy, while the latter with low safety and high efficacy. And the direct protective effects on cardiomyocytes of these four components may be attained through mechanisms other than anti-peroxidation.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Berberine Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Cell Hypoxia ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; pharmacology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats