Objective To establish a set of methods of Chinese materia medica quality evaluation based on biothermodynamics.Methods Using microcalorimetry,the thermal power of Escherichia coli meta-bolism affected by Rhizoma Coptidis in different growing years was measured.According to the thermokinetic model,the relationship of the thermokinetic parameters,caloric bioactivity and chemical constituent was analyzed.Results There were obvious difference in the caloric active fingerprints of E.coli metabolism affected by Rhizoma Coptidis in different growing years,which presented significant finger character.Compared with the normal groups,the metabolism of E.coli was inhibited in different levels by Rhizoma Coptidis in different growing periods,the multiplication rate constants and heat output were decreased,and the generation time was prolonged.Especially,Rhizoma Coptidis under four years' growing period with the highest content of total alkaloids showed a significant inhibitory effect on E.coli.Conclusion There are evident correlation among the thermokinetic parameters of E.coli metabolism affected by Rhizoma Coptidis in different growing years,the caloric bioactivity,and chemical composition.The thermokinetic parameters can indirectly reflect caloric bioactivity of Rhizoma Coptidis.As the method of biothermodynamics is on line,microamount,high throughout screening,and universality.The microcalorimetry is considered to be a useful mean for Chinese materia medica quality evaluation.

To evaluate the validity of osteoarthritis model induced by bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig, 32-month-old female guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups: a sham operation group (control group) and an ovariectomized group (OVX group). The animals were killed 6 or 12 weeks after the operation and the degeneration of the knees were assessed microscopically and histologically by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and light microscope. The serum levels of estrogen and gestone were detected by immune contest assay. The scoring of articular cartilage histopathology of tibial plateau was performed by histopathological examination. The blood serum levels of estrogen and gestone were decreased significantly in the OVX group as compared with the control group 6 or 12 weeks after the operation. Joint cartilage degeneration as detected by SEM and TEM could be found at the 6th week, but severe degenerative lesions were observed at the 12th week in the OVX group as compared with the control group (P<0.01). The histopathological score of articular cartilage in tibial plateau in OVX group was higher than that of control group, which was coincident with the changes of estrogen and the ultrastructure (P<0.01). The findings suggested that bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig can induce the severe osteoarthritis that is similar to the aging-induced OA in human. Therefore, the model of the osteoarthritis by bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig in this study is valid.

OBJECTIVE:To explore a new way for the investigating of processing impact on the property of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)so as to provide new ideas and methods for the scientific research on TCM.METHODS:Ideas of in?vestigating the impact of processing on the property of TCM by using the method of biothermodynamics and setting up a new method system of research and evaluation on TCM were put forward through reviewing and analyzing the status quo and problems of processing impact on property of TCM and the commonness and characteristics between TCM and biothermody?natics.RESULTS&CONCLUSIONS:Theoretically and practically,it is feasible to investigate processing impact on the property of TCM by using biothermodynamic ideas and methods,and it is expected that which can serve as a new visual angle and technical platform in the modernization study of TCM.

An RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of and Amlodipine (AL)Ramipril (RP) in tablets was developed and validated by Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010. The linearity of the proposed method was investigated in the range of 0.01-0.25 mg/mL (r2 ? 0.9998) for RP and 0.014-0.36 mg/mL (r2 ? 0.9997) for AL. The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.06μg/mL and 0.02μg/mL for RP and AL, and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.2μg/mL and 0.07μg/mL, respectively. Some major impurities and degradation products did not disturb the detection of RP and AL and the assay can thus be considered stability-indicating.

To investigate the estrogen receptor (ER) expression in cartilage cell in the development of osteoarthritis induced by bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig and to find their relationship. 30 two-month-old female guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups (n = 15 each): sham operation (control) group and ovariectomized group (OVX); Scanning electorne microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were obtained to analysis the cartilage degeneration of the hind limb knee joint after 6 and 12 weeks of ovariectomy. Dextran-Coated-Charcoal (DCC) was taken to quantitively detect the expression of ER. The serum levels of estrogen and gestone were detected by immune contest assay. The results showed that ER do exist in the cartilages of the guinea pigs, with higher expression in the control group than in OVX group at the same time point (P < 0.05). It was increased also at 12 th week after operation than that of preoperation. The blood serum levels of estrogen and gestone showed a similar tendency to the expression of ER. Joint cartilage degeneration detected by SEM and TEM could be found at 6 th week, but severe degenerative lesions at 12 th week in the OVX group compared with the control group (P < 0.01). The data suggested that bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig lead to severe osteoarthritis which mighgt be related to the lower serum level of estrogen and the downregulation of the expression of ER in the cartilage also.
Cartilage, Articular/cytology ; Cartilage, Articular/*metabolism ; Chondrocytes/metabolism ; Estrogens/*blood ; Osteoarthritis/*etiology ; Osteoarthritis/metabolism ; Ovariectomy ; Random Allocation ; Receptors, Estrogen/*biosynthesis ; Receptors, Estrogen/genetics

AIM To investigate the improving effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on rat kidney injury induced by cisplatin and its mechanism of action.METHODS Fifty male SD rats (10 rats/group) were randomly divided into blank control group,kidney injury group,EGCG low-,middle-and high-dose (25,50 and 100 mg/kg) groups.The kidney injury group and the drug administration group were treated with 7.5 mg/kg cisplatin by intraperitoneal injection to build the kidney injury model,and the blank control group was intraperitoneally injected with normal saline.After fourteen days of administration,the general condition and morphological changes of kidney tissue by HE staining were observed;BUN,Cr,Cys-c contents in serum,and IL-18,KIM-1 contents in urine were detected by ELISA;MDA,GSH and T-SOD contents in renal cortex were determined by kit;Western blot method was used to determine the contents of Nrf2 protein in renal contex cytoplasm and nucleus,and the expression level of HO-1 protein.RESULTS EGCG intervention could improve the pathological structural changes of rat kidney injury induced by cisplatin,decrease kidney index,and decrease serum Cr,Cys-c contents and urine IL-18,KIM-1 contents.Moreover,renal cortex MDA concentration decreased,and renal cortex GSH concentration,T-SOD activity increased.At the same time,renal cortex cytoplasm Nrf2 content reduced,but nucleus Nrf2 and total cell HO-1 contents increased.CONCLUSION EGCG plays a role in the improvement of rat kidney injury induced by cisplatin through the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway.

Objective To study the change of immune factor in COPD rats after intravenous injection of regulatory T cells.Methods Twenty-one SPF rats was divided into three groups at random,rat COPD model was built by smoking.We used magnetic bead isolation technic to separate CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells.Regulatory T cells were cultured and injected into rats though rats' caudal vein according to different dose,5 × 104/mL,5 × 105/mL,5 × 106/mL respectively.Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell factors.ELISA was used to analyze IL-6 and CRP.Restlts Adding JJ316 or IL-2 into medium benefited the proliferation of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells.On the 20 th day,regulatory T cells CD4+CD25+ proliferation stopped by adding JJ316 or IL-2 respectively.Regulatory T cells were cultured and injected into rats though rat caudal vein according to different dose.The levels of CRP and IL-6 were decreased when rats were injected by CD4+CD25+regulatory T cell after one week.Conclusions Injection of regulatory T cells is helpful to control inflammation progression of COPD,so the increase of regulatory T cells of patients with COPD may decrease inflammation progression of COPD.

This study was aimed to explore differential effects of various sections of the velvet antler on promoting cell proliferation in vitro. The NRK-49F cell line from rat kidney fibroblasts was used as the cell model. The cell proliferation rates of the water extracts from the upper, middle and lower section of fresh velvet antler were measured by the MTT method. BCA method was used in the detection of protein concentration. The SDS-PAGE method was used in the analysis of difference composition of the sample protein. The results showed that soluble protein content of the upper, middle and lower section were 17.89, 16.04 and 6.89 mg·mL-1, respectively. From the top to the base, the soluble protein content of velvet antler was decreased. After 24 h treatment, when the protein concentration of the upper and middle section samples of the velvet antler were 800 μg·mL-1 and 600 μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which were 66.76% and 64.36%, respectively. And when the lower section sample of the velvet antler was 1 000 μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which was 58.87%. After 48 h treatment, when the upper and middle section samples of the velvet antler were 800μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which were 219.56% and 215.86%, respectively. And when the lower section sample of the velvet antler was 1 000 μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which was 169.20%. The velvet antler on the proliferation of cells was much better than the 10% fetal bovine serum. The figure of SDS-PAGE showed the slight difference in the protein composition of three part of the velvet antler. It was concluded that all samples had promoting effects on cell proliferation with concentration-depen-dent, and the main protein in different part of the velvet antler had minor differences.

To investigate the estrogen receptor(ER) expression in cartilage cell in the development of osteoarthritis induced by bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig and to find their relationship. 30two-month-old female guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups (n= 15 each): sham operation (control)group and ovariectomized group (OVX); Scanning electorne microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were obtained to analysis the cartilage degeneration of the hind limb knee joint after 6 and 12 weeks of ovariectomy. Dextran-Coated Charcoal (DCC) was taken to quantitively detect the expression of ER. The serum levels of estrogen and gestone were deteeted by immune contest assay. The results showed that ER do exist in the cartilages of the guinea pigs, with higher expression in the control group than in OVX group at the same time point (P＜0. 05). It was increased also at 12 th week after operation than that of preoperation. The blood serum levels of estrogen and gestone showed a similar tendency to the expression of ER. Joint cartilage degeneration detected by SEM and TEM could be found at 6 th week, but severe degenerative lesions at 12 th week in the OVX group compared with the control group (P＜0.01). The data suggested that bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig lead to severe osteoarthritis which mighgt be related to the lower serum level of estrogen and the downregulation of the expression of ER in the cartilage also.