BACKGROUND:Glycyrrhiza flavonoids can protect muscle tissues against oxidative and inflammatory injuries.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of Glycyrrhiza flavonoids on energy storing and release of adipose tissue by studying expressions of perilipin mRNA and protein in skeletal muscle tissues of rats after exhaustive exercise.
METHODS:Fifty male healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were used and equaly randomized into five groups: quiet control, exercise alone (intragastric administration with saline), exercise combined with low-, moderate-, high-dose Glycyrrhiza flavonoids (intragastric administration with Glycyrrhiza flavonoids) groups, respectively. Perilipin mRNA and protein expressions in skeletal muscle tissues containing gastrocnemius muscle and musculi soleus were determined at 6 weeks after exhaustive exercise.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Expression of perilipin mRNA in rat gastrocnemius muscle in quiet control group was significantly decreased compared with exercise alone and al combined intervention groups (P < 0.05 orP < 0.01). Protein expression of perilipin in exercise combined with moderate- or high-dose glycyrrhiza flavonoids group was significantly increased compared with quiet control group (P < 0.05). Expression of perilipin mRNA in rat musculi soleus was significantly decreased compared with exercise combined with moderate-dose glycyrrhiza flavonoids group (P < 0.05). These findings confirm that Glycyrrhiza flavonoids are benefit for improvement of aerobic metabolism capacity of gastrocnemius muscle through regulating lipolysis pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of FTY720 in protecting the motor nerve function in rats with acute spinal cord injury (ASCI).Methods A model of ASCI in the rat was established using Allen' s method.The rats were divided into five groups according to random number table:Group A (normal control group,n =6),Group B (sham group,n =27),Group C (ASCI group,n =27),Group D (FTY720 systemic treatment group,n =27) and Group E (FTY720 topical treatment group,n =27).After treatment,each group was observed for the changes of lymphocytes in peripheral blood and topical spinal cord tissue,BBB score,pathological changes of spinal cord tissue and expression intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).Results After ASCI in rats,the infiltration of local T lymphocyte subpopulations CD3,CD4 and CD8 was promoted,but the number of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subpopulations CD3,CD4 and CD8 was decreased.After FTY720 therapy,both local and peripheral blood lymphocytes were reduced in number and the decrease of peripheral blood lymphocytes in Group E was between Groups C and D.BBB score,pathologic observation and GFAP staining showed a neuroprotective effect of FTY720 and better motor nerve function recovery in Group E than in Groups C and D.Conclusions FTY720 therapy facilitates motor nerve function recovery.Local FTY720 application reduces peripheral blood lymphocytes and lowers the incidence of infection.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To study the effect of berberine(BBR) on autophagy of human breast cancer HCC1937 cells under hypoxia condition. METHODS Cultured human breast cancer HCC1937 cells, CCK-8 method was used to determine the effects of different concentrations of BBR(0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 μmol·L-1) on cell viability under normoxia and hypoxia conditions, and select the drug concentration for further experiments. Cultured HCC1937 cells were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, 20 μmol·L-1 BBR group, hypoxia group, hypoxia+20 μmol·L-1 BBR group. LIVE/DEAD cell viability/cytotoxicity kits were used to measure the cell death rate. The expressions of autophagy related proteins Beclin1, LC3 and P62 in each group were determined by Western blotting. The cells were infected with mCherry-GFP-LC3 adenovirus, and the number of autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes in each group were counted by laser confocal microscopy to determine the effect of BBR on the autophagy flow of HCC1937 cells. RESULTS BBR decreased the cell viability of human breast cancer HCC1937 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. After hypoxia treatment, the cell death rate of HCC1937 cells was not significantly changed, and the intracellular Beclin1, LC3-II and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio were significantly increased, while P62 without significant changes, and the autophagy flow was increased. BBR significantly increased cell death rate, decreased Beclin1 and LC3II/LC3-I ratio, increased intracellular P62, significantly reduced the number of autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes, and inhibited the formation and clearance of autophagosomes under both normal and hypoxia conditions. CONCLUSION BBR increases the death rate of human breast cancer HCC1937 cells under hypoxia condition, and its effect is related to the inhibitory effect of berberine on autophagy under hypoxia condition.