1.Monitoring of chemical components with different color traits of Tussilago farfara using NMR-based metabolomics.
Xi MI ; Zhenyu LI ; Xuemei QIN ; Lizeng ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2013;48(11):1692-7
The quality and grade of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs were assessed by their characteristics traditionally. According to traditional experience, the quality of the purple Flos Farfarae is better than that of yellow buds. NMR-based metabolomic approach combined with significant analysis of microarray (SAM) and Spearman rank correlation analysis were used to investigate the different metabolites of the Flos Farfarae with different color feature. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed clear distinction between the purple and yellow flower buds of Tussilago farfara. The S-plot of orthogonal PLS-DA (OPLS-DA) and t test revealed that the levels of threonine, proline, phosphatidylcholine, creatinine, 4, 5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, rutin, caffeic acid, kaempferol analogues, and tussilagone were higher in the purple flower buds than that in the yellow buds, in agreement with the results of SAM and Spearman rank correlation analysis. The results confirmed the traditional medication experience that "purple flower bud is better than the yellow ones", and provide a scientific basis for assessing the quality of Flos Farfarae by the color features.
2.Neurotoxicity induced by methamphetamine and the protective role of nNOS inhibitor in rats
Jingtao XU ; Fu ZHANG ; Xingyi YANG ; Weibing XIE ; Lizeng LI ; Chao LIU ; Huijun WANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2014;(8):1101-1106
Aim Tostudytheprotectiveeffectsofin-hibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase ( nNOS ) in methamphetamine ( METH ) induced neurotoxicity via oxidativestressinjuryinrats.Methods Ratmodelsof acute METH poisoning with/without 7 nitroindazole (7-NI) pretreatment were built to evaluate the protec-tive effects on the changes of ethology, nNOS, nitro-proteins, dopamine ( DA ) and apoptosis in rat stria-tum.Results ThenNOSexpression,nitroproteinex-pression and apoptosis increased significantly in the METH group( P<0. 05 ) and 7-NI pretreatment shows a dramatically protective effect against the changes ( P<0. 05 ) . DA concentration decreased significantly in the METH group(P<0. 05) and 7-NI pretreatment re-stored the depleted DA to normal level ( P >0. 05 ) . Stereotyped behavior increased significantly in the METH group and the 7-NI combined group compared with the 7-NI group and the control group(P<0. 01). Conclusions 7-NIshowssignificantprotectiveeffects against the alterations of DA level, nNOS expression, nitroprotein expression and apoptosis in rat striatum caused by acute METH poisoning. However, there is no obvious protective effect on METH-induced stereo-typed behavior.