OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents in the herbs of Fallopia convolvulus.

METHODIts 80% ethanol extract was separated by means of silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography to give twelve compounds, whose structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic evidence.

RESULTTwelve compounds were isolated and identified as: quercetin (1), luteolin (2), chrysoeriol (3), apigenin (4), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (5), quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (6), N-trans-coumaroyl tyramine (7), loliolide (8), ethylparaben (9), beta-sitosterol (10), daucosterol (11), n-hexadecanoic acid (12).

CONCLUSIONAll these compounds were isolated firstly from this plant, compounds 6-9 were obtained from this genus for the first time.

Chromatography ; Plant Components, Aerial ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Polygonaceae ; chemistry

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of isoflurane anesthesia on plasma cortisol,and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in hippocampus in rots.MethodsThirty-six adult male SD rots,aged 10 weeks,weighing 250-280 g,were randomly assigned into 6 groups:control group (group C,n =6) and O2 group (group O,n =6),isoflurane group (group Ⅰ,n =24).The rats were exposed to 2％ isoflurane for 2 h (FGF 3 L/min) in group Ⅰ.While the rats were only exposed to the pure oxygen in group O.Six rats in each group were chosen to perform Morris water maze test after inhalation of pure oxygen was stopped in group O,and at 2 h,and at 1,7 and 14 days after the end of administration in group Ⅰ.The escape latency and swimming distance in place navigation test,and the number of crossing the platform and swimming distance in spatial probe test were recorded.After water maze test was terminated at each time point,blood samples were taken from the fossa orbitalis to determine the plasma cortisol concentration and the hippocampal tissue was obtained for measurement of the contents of BDNF and NGF.ResultsCompared with group C,the number of crossing the platform was significantly decreased,the swimming distance was significantly shortened,and the plasma cortisol concentration was significantly decreased in spatial probe test in group O,and the escape latency and swimming distance were significantly prolonged at 1 day after the end of administration in plaee navigation test,and the number of crossing the platform and the content of BDNF in the hippocampal tissue were significantly decreased,and the swimming distance was significantly shortened in spatial probe test in group Ⅰ (P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01 ).Conclusion lsoflurane anesthesia exerts a transient inhibitory effect on cognitive function in the short term,and promotion of the cortisol release and synthesis of BDNF is involved in the mechanism,but not the synthesis of NGF in hippocampus in rats.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the active constituents from Rumex dentatus.

METHODCompounds were isolated by silica gel, Sephadex LH -20 and ODS column chromatography and identified by chemical and spectroscopic methods.

RESULTTen compounds were obtained and identified as helonioside A (1), gallic acid (2), isovanillic acid (3), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (4), succinic acid (5), n-butyl-beta-D-fructopyranoside (6), quercetin (7), hexadecanoic acid 2, 3-dihydroxy propyl ester (8), beta-sitosterol (9) and daucosterol (10).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1, 3-6 and 8 were isolated from the genus of Rumex for the first time.

Fructose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rumex ; chemistry ; Vanillic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

The medicinal herbs derived from genus Senecio have been commonly used in Chinese medicine and triggered attention in recent decades for that they contain the hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Therefore the botanical pharmacognostic study to authenticate those herbs based on their macroscopic and microscopic characteristics is important for the assurance of safety when they are applied as raw material for extracts or for finished products. In this paper, 13 taxa (11 species and 2 varieties) of Senecio plants were collected and their macroscopic and microscopic characteristics were observed and described by digital microscopic illustration. The results showed that the distribution of collenchyma in the cortex, the level of development for pericycle, the location of the phloem, and the ratio of pith in transverse sections of the stems, and the morphology of the leaf epidermal cells, the stomatal types and the non-glandular hairs in leaf surface view were found to be the main microscopic characteristics for authentication of different Senecio species. The herbs derived from genus Senecio can be distinguished from each other on the basis of their macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, and those observation can be used for the identification of commercial crude drugs from Senecio plants.
Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Plant Stems ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Senecio ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of experimentally created unilateral anterior crossbite prosthesis on the expression of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) and parathyroid hormone receptor-1 (PTH1R) in mandibular condylar cartilage of SD rat.

METHODSIn experimental groups, the unilateral anterior crossbite metal prosthesis was cemented to the left incisors of the maxilla and mandible of 6-week-old SD rats, respectively. Animals were sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining were carried out for studying the morphological changes of the condylar cartilage. Immunohistochemical staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis were performed to detect the levels of expression of PTHrP and PTH1R in the condylar cartilages.

RESULTSThe obvious degenerative changes were found in the condylar cartilages in experimental group at 8 weeks. Comparing to the control group, the expression of PTHrP mRNA (P < 0.01) and protein(P < 0.01) in the experimental group were increased, whereas PTH1R mRNA (P < 0.01) and protein (P < 0.01) levels were decreased.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of PTHrP was increased in the condylar cartilage of rat with unilateral anterior crossbite metal prosthesis but its effects might be limited because of decreased expression of PTH1R in the condylar cartilage. The low level expression of PTH1R should be a part of the constitution of the molecular pathomechanism of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA)-like lesion.

Animals ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Incisor ; Malocclusion ; Mandible ; Mandibular Condyle ; Osteoarthritis ; Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 1 ; Temporomandibular Joint

Objective To prepare the 99Tcm-survivin mRNA antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA)and investigate its value as a gene imaging agent in tumor bearing mice and early diagnosis in tumor.Methods Survivin mRNA antisense PNA and mismatch PNA were synthesized.Four amino acids (Gly- (D)Ala-Gly-Gly) and Aba (4-aminobutyric acid) were linked to the 5' end of PNA.Gly- (D)Ala-Gly-Gly served as a chelating moiety for strong chelation of 99Tcm and Aba acted as a spacer to minimize the steric hindrance.PNAs were labeled with 99Tcm by the ligand-exchange method.The labeling efficiency and radiochemical purity were measured by HPLC and ITLC methods.There were five BALB/c nude mice bearing human lung carcinoma ( A549 ) in each of antisense PNA and mismatch PNA groups.Gene imaging of 99Tcm-survivin mRNA antisense and mismatch PNAs were performed at 1,2 and 4 h post the injection,respectively,and the T/NT ratio was measured by the method of ROI.The statistical comparisons of average values were performed with the two-group t-test for independent sample by SPSS 13.0.Results The product kept stable in vitro.The labeling efficiency of 99Tcm-survivin mRNA antisense PNA was (95.48 ±1.92)％ and more than 85％ after the incubation for24 h in serum.The radiochemical purity was ＞ 95％.The labeling efficiency of mismatch PNA was similar to the antisense PNA.99Tcm-survivin mRNA antisense PNA was especially uptaken by tumor lesion,and its accumulation reached the top at 4 h post the injection.T/NT ratios at 1,2,and 4 h were 2.70 ± 0.28,3.44 ± 0.35,4.21 ± 0.63,respectively.In the comparison,the T/NT ratio of 99Tcm-survivin mRNA mismatch PNA at 4 h (3.12 ±0.50) was significantly lower (t =2.918,P =0.019).Conclusions 99Tcm-survivin mRNA antisense PNA has high labeling efficiency,good stability and no need of purification.Its characteristic of especial uptake by tumor lesion provides the potential value in early diagnosis of tumor.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Baibu Tang on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. After intratracheally giving bleomycin(3. 5 mg/kg), mice were orally administered Baibu Tang once a day for 14 consecutive days, takingnintedanib as a positive control. The anti-fibrotic effects were assessed by the hydroxyproline level and the histopathological changes in H&E or Masson stained lung tissues. The results revealed that the lung coefficient, hydroxyproline content, inflammation and collagen deposition were increased significantly in the lung tissue of the model mice. Both ethanol and water extracts of Baibu Tang significantly improved all the pathological indexes in mice, but the effect of the ethanol extract was better than that of the water extract. Baibu Tang with Baibu(root of Stemona tuberosa)containing different components(neotuberostemonine, tuberostemonine and stemoninine, respectively)could significantly reduce hydroxyproline level and collagen deposition in the lung tissue of bleomycin-induced mice, and there was no significant difference in their activity. This result showed that the changes in the chemical composition of Stemona tuberosa(Baibu, monarch drug for Baibu Tang)have little effect on the anti-fibrosis activity of Baibu Tang, and its mechanism and material basis need further investigation.

To investigate the effects of intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 suspension on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice and the intervention of neotuberostemonine (NTS), the BLM dose (1.5 or 3.0 U/kg) and PM2.5 frequency (1 or 2 times per week) were studied by factorial experiment design. After intratracheal instillation of BLM (1.5 or 3.0 U/kg) on day 0, PM2.5 (5 mg/kg) was intratracheally injected to mice once or twice a week from day 1 to day 21, and the mice in the treatment group were given 30 mg/kg NTS by gavage once a day from day 8 to day 21. The degree of pulmonary fibrosis was evaluated by lung coefficient, hydroxyproline (HYP) content, HE staining and Masson staining lung sections as well as their semi-quantitative index (HE inflammatory score and collagen volume fraction, CVF). The results showed that the HE scores increased significantly in mice singly given PM2.5 once a week, the HYP content and HE score increased in mice singly given PM2.5 twice a week, but their CVF values did not significantly increase. However, the CVF values increased significantly in mice treated with PM2.5 and BLM co-infusion. These results suggested that PM2.5 (administered singly) could significantly increase BLM-induced collagen deposition and greatly aggravate pulmonary fibrosis although it mainly caused pulmonary inflammation rather than pulmonary fibrosis. NTS could significantly reduce the CVF value and α-SMA protein level of the model mice. It can be concluded that PM2.5 has great influence on patients with respiratory diseases, while NTS can improve pulmonary fibrosis induced by the combination of PM2.5 and BLM.

OBJECTIVETo study the technical feasibility of QAMS to determine different structural types of ingredients in Zhizi Jinhua pill, a Chinese patent medicine.

METHODEmodin was chosen as the internal reference substance. The relative correction factors (RCF) of berberine, baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, aloe-emodin, wogonin, rhein, chrysophanol and physcion to emodin were calculated with the peak areas determined at 254 nm. The ruggedness of these RCFs was validated. The contents of emodin in the samples of Zhizi Jinhua pill were determined by using the external standard method, and the contents of the other nine ingredients were calculated by their RCFs. The contents of these ten ingredients in all samples were also determined by the external standard method.

RESULTNo significant differences were observed between the quantitative results of the two methods. The obtained RCFs were credible.

CONCLUSIONThe established QAMS method can be used for quantitative determination of different structural types of multi-compounds in Zhizi Jinhua pill. It can provide reference for the quality control of Chinese patent medicine.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Dosage Forms ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo study the optimum process of removing cadmium irons from extracts of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma with gamma-mercaptopropyl-modified silica gel (MPS) and assess its cadmium ion-removing property.

METHODStatic and dynamic adsorptions were adopted to detect the cadmium-removing rate. MPS' cadmium ion-removing property was assessed with such indicators as the cadmium-removing rate, the solid content and the HPLC fingerprint.

RESULTThe process parameters of the static adsorption were as follows: 0.20 g x mL(-1) of concentration of extracts, 120 minutes of adsorption time and 15:1 between raw materials and MPS. The process parameters of the dynamic adsorption were as follows: 1:3.5 times between diameter and height, 0.20 g x mL(-1) of concentration of extracts, 0.9 mL x min(-1) of flow rate of the extracts and 50:1 between raw materials and MPS. Before and after the cadmium ion-removing process, the extracts showed no notable difference in solid content and HPLC fingerprint.

CONCLUSIONgamma-mercaptopropyl-modified silica gel (MPS) can effectively remove cadmium ion from the extracts of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma with an excellent cadmium ion-removing property.

Adsorption ; Cadmium ; chemistry ; Drug Contamination ; Gentianaceae ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Silica Gel ; chemistry