Increasing evidence suggests that a complex net-work of fever induction pathways in mammalian exists. In this article,the overview of recent studies on the mechanism of fever induced by different pyrogens using IL-1, IL-1R, ICE, IL-1ra, IL-1RacP, IL-6,IL-10,TNFR,cPLA 2,COX,EP,AT 2,iNOS and D 2/3 knockout mice is presented. Hyperthermia respond to localized infection/inflammation(e.g.,sc injection of turpentine) is mediated by IL-1? and IL-6 in turn.While fever induced by systemic infection/inflammation(e.g.,treatment with LPS intraperitoneally) varies with the different doses of pyrogens administered .Fever caused by a low dose of LPS administered ip is IL-6 dependent ,but the IL-6 independent pathway is crucial for the fever evoked by a high dose of LPS.Febrile responses during both local and systemic infection/inflammation develop totally through central PGE 2 dependent mechanism, but some stress induced hyperthermia otherwise.

Thyroid glands from 80 human fetuses, 7～31 weeks in gestational age were obtained to study the morphological development of thyroid glands by histochemical, immunohistochemical and TEM techniques. During 7～8.5 weeks the glands composed mostly of epithelial cell cords and abundant glycogen were seen in the cytoplasm of the cells. Some follicles and small accumulations of colloid in the center of the follicles appeared at 12～12.5 weeks and less glycogen was found in the cells. C cells were distributed mainly in the posterior region of the upper pole of both lobes, they usaually occurred singly or in small groups. During intrauterine life, C cells occupied three positions. They are found between follicular cells, between follicular cell and basement membrane and between follicles. But they are situated predominantly in the follicular wall. Three morphological variants were found in the human fetal C cells: (1) spherical or oval cells, (2) polygonal or pyramidal cells (3) cells with a cytoplasmic process. Developing C cells seem to have few secretory granules by TEM and argyrophilic reaction in semithin sections.

Bitter taste receptors (BTRs) belong to the G protein-coupled receptors, which included 25 subtypes. BTRs, which were distributed in the oral cavity, mediated the bitter taste of mammalian. Furthermore, BTRs were also existed in the extra-oral digestive system such as the stomach and intestine to influence the digestion, absorption and energy regulation. It also can relax airway smooth muscles in the respiratory system and decrease blood pressure in the cardiovascular system. While being strikingly conformed to the latest advancements of BTRs, the efficacy of bitter taste property of Chinese materia medica (CMM) such as“excretion”,“dryness” and“strengthening” have been used in ancient theories of property and flavor in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years in the treatment of multisystem diseases such as digestive, endocrine, respiratory and cardiovascular system. Therefore, applying modern techniques and new methods in the interpretation of the scientific connotation of bitter taste property of CMM based on BTRs should be a feasible way and a new research pattern. It played an important role in the enriching of the property theory in CMM, as well as enhancing the modernization and objectivization of CMM.

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is the speed limit enzyme that liberates the sn-2 fatty acyl chains from phospho-lipids to yield nonesterified fatty acids and lysophospholipids. Its metabolites have a wide range of biological activity in a series of physiological and pathological process such as gene expression, energy metabolism, plasmalemma re-configuration, signal transduction, inflammation, trauma, and etc. This review introduced members of the PLA2 super-family and their functions. And the effect on the activity and/or mass of PLA2 family was summarized with a purpose to promote related research, of which more than 100 items included prescriptions, herbs and their active ingredients in 150 articles were collected from the database.

To further uncover the scientific significance and molecular mechanism of the Chinese herbs with pungent hot or warm natures, endogenous and exogenous expression systems were established by isolation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and transfection of HEK293 cells with TRPV1 channel gene separately. On this basis, the regulation action of capsaicin, one main ingredient from chili pepper, on TRPV1 channel was further explored by using confocal microscope. Besides, the three-sites one-unit technique and method were constructed based on the brown adipose tissue (BAT), anal and tail skin temperatures. Then the effect of capsaicin on mouse energy metabolism was evaluated. Both endogenous and exogenous TRPV1 channel could be activated and this action could be specifically blocked by the TRPV1 channel inhibitor capsazepine. Simultaneously, the mice's core body temperature and BAT temperature fall down and then go up, accompanied by the increase of temperature of the mice's tail skin. Promotion of the energy metabolism by activation of TRPV1 channel might be the common way for the pungent-hot (warm) herbs to demonstrate their natures.

Objective Analysis and adscription of volatiles from Guizhi Tang and study on its improvement of the learning and memory in dementia mice induced by scopolamine.Methods The volatile oil from Guizhi Tang(GZT),Guizhi and Shengjiang was extracted using steam distillation method and was analyzed by GC-MS. Morris water maze and step-down test were carried out for obtain the difference of the learning and memory improvement in 40 ICR mice from randomized groups, such as the control group, the model group, the donepezil group (2 mg/kg), the low dose of volatile oil of GZT (5 mg/kg), and the high dose of volatile oil of GZT (20 mg/kg), and ACh, AchE, BchE and chE in serum were detected by ELISA. Results Among 38 identyfied volatile ingredients from GZT, 18(44% in weight) was from Guizhi, and 9 was from Shengjiang. Compared with the model group, the low and high dose of GZT volatile oil significantly increased swimming distance ratio in destination quadrant (26.74% ± 16.42%vs.9.42% ± 8.50%, P<0.05); goal quadrant time scale (43.51% ± 25.12%vs. 14.50% ± 12.23%,P<0.05)) increased significantly than the model group ; the number of errors in the experiment platform (1.63 ± 1.19vs. 0.25 ± 0.46, P<0.05) obviously increased than model group ; platform test in the made errors times (0.57 ± 0.98vs. 4.43 ± 2.4, P<0.05) significantly reduced. The GZT total volatile oil groups significantly reduced cognitive obstacles small rat serum in the cholinester enzyme (chE) (140.90 ± 3.27, 144.79 ± 6.71vs. 134.49 ± 3.36,P<0.05); acetylcholinesterase (AchE) (3.30 ± 1.31, 3.94 ± 0.78 vs.8.52 ± 3.39,P<0.05); butyrylcholinesterase (BchE) (3.22 ± 0.45, 3.66 ± 0.53vs. 7.99 ± 0.79,P<0.05); and acetylcholine (Ach) (4.10 ± 0.38, 3.03 ± 0.25vs.1.72 ± 0.50, P<0.05) significantly increased.Conclusions The GZT volatile oil mainly from Guizhi and Shengjiang can improve the learning and memory ability in dementia mice induced by scopolamine via a cholinergic mechnism.

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for the contents determination of 9 components in Guizhi decoction,and com-pare the effects of traditional decoction method and the extracting machine decoction method on these contents in Guizhi decoction. METHODS:HPLC was performed on the column of Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 with mobile phaseof acetonitrile- 0.1% phosphoric ac-id(gradient elution)at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min,the detection wavelength was 230 nm,254 nm and 280 nm,the column tempera-ture was 25℃,and the injection volume was 10μl. RESULTS:The linear range was 0.410 2-210.0μg/ml for gallic acid(r=0.999 9), 0.994 0-254.5μg/ml for albiflorin(r=0.999 9),1.636 0-1 675.0μg/ml for paeoniflorin(r=0.999 9),0.988 3-506.0μg/ml for liquiri-tin(r=0.999 6),0.987 3-31.59 μg/ml for coumarin(r=0.999 5),0.486 8-124.6 μg/ml for cinnamic acid(r=0.999 5),2.458 0-314.6μg/ml for cinnamaldehyde(r=0.999 5),0.034 3-1.096 μg/ml for 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde(r=0.999 8),and 1.711 0-219.0 μg/ml for glycyrrdhizic acid (r=0.999 7);RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were lower than 5%,recoveries were 93.56%-103.19%(RSD=4.00%,n=9)、101.51%-107.32%(RSD=2.21%,n=9)、95.08%-103.76%(RSD=2.87%,n=9)、100.82%-105.73%(RSD=1.85%,n=9)、85.08%-89.12%(RSD=1.40%,n=9)、92.31%-99.12%(RSD=2.71%,n=9)、99.17%-102.32%(RSD=1.24%,n=9)、100.15%-103.98%(RSD=1.18%,n=9)、99.93%-102.61%(RSD=1.03%,n=9). The content of total effective components from the extracting machine decoction method was 4 565μg/g,that from the traditional decoc-tion method was 2 742 μg/g.CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,stable and reproducible,and can be used for the simultaneous determination of 9 componentsin Guizhi decoction. The contents of gallic acid,albiflorin and 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde are first re-ported. The total effective components from the extracting machine decoction method are higher than that from the traditional decoc-tion method.

The theory of herbal properties of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an indispensable part of theoretical system of TCM and plays an important role in the clinical prescription and application of TCM. In this theoretical system, the theory of four herbal properties takes a core and dominant position and becomes an indispensable part of TCM natures and actions. In combination of studies and experience, this essay proposes the latest discovery in modern biology-modern scientific connotation of cold and hot herbal properties on the basis of cold and hot perceptions of organism on the basis of analysis and summary of TRP channel protein and correlation of cold and hot perceptions of organism and thermoregulation, which is an effective approach to make breakthroughs in studies on modernization drive of the theory of four herbal properties of TCM.
Animals ; Body Temperature Regulation ; drug effects ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Perception ; drug effects ; Transient Receptor Potential Channels ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective:To investigate the effects of hydrogen rich-saline (HRS) on intestinal mucosal barrier in rat with intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IIRI).Methods:Twenty-four healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 8 weeks, were randomly divided into 3 groups (8 in each group) by random number table method: sham group, model group and HRS group.Rats in HRS group were intraperitoneally injected with HRS (10 mL/kg) at 30 min of ischemia, and the same amount of normal saline was intraperitoneally injected in model group.After 45 min of ischemia and 6 h of reperfusion, rats were sacrificed.Serum and ileum were collected for further detection.Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)- 1β and IL-17A expression levels in serum were detected by conducting enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The localization expressions of tight junction protein Occludin was detected by immunohistochemical staining (IHC), while the localization expression of tight junction protein zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) were detected by immunofluorescence staining (IF). The protein expression of Occludin, ZO-1, and Lysozyme were detected by performing Western blot.The mRNA expression of Lysozyme and α-defensin were detected by real-time PCR (qPCR).Results:ELISA results proved that the levels of serum TNF-α and IL-1β in HRS group rats were significantly lower than those in model group [(62.02±29.97) ng/L vs.(113.40±44.58) ng/L, (21.68±0.35) ng/L vs.(28.29±3.49) ng/L], while the level of IL-17A increased [(28.18±5.28) ng/L vs. (15.10±3.60) ng/L] (all P<0.05). IHC staining: compared with model group, the expression of Occludin in HRS group was uniform and continuous, and the staining was darker.IF results: compared with model group, the fluorescence signal intensity of ZO-1 in HRS group rats significantly increased, and the distribution was clear and continuous.Wes-tern blot results: compared with model group, the expression levels of Occludin and ZO-1 proteins in HRS group rats remarkably increased (0.79±0.06 vs. 0.54±0.04, 0.91±0.11 vs. 0.51±0.13), while Lysozyme protein decreased (1.50±0.40 vs. 2.99±0.80) (all P<0.05). qPCR results revealed that the expression level of Lysozyme mRNA in HRS group rats was lower than that in model group (1.64±0.33 vs. 2.20±0.40), while α-defensin mRNA obviously increased (0.82±0.19 vs. 0.47±0.13) (all P<0.01). Conclusions:HRS protects intestinal mucosal barrier by inhibiting the expression of tight junctions and the secretion of antimicrobial peptides in rat suffering from IIRI.

Cinnamaldehyde was shown to have significant anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic actions in studies from both others' and our lab. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays a key role in generation of these pathological states, while PGE, synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is one of crucial biological elements in the process of PGE2 production. And as a downstream inducible terminal prostaglandin synthase of COX-2, mPGES-1 is now regarded as a more promising novel drug target than COX-2 and is attracting more and more attention from both academia and pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of present study was to further investigate the anti-inflammatory and antipyretic molecular mechanisms of cinnamaldehyde based on the mouse macrophage cell line RAW264. 7 in vitro. The PGE2 was identified by using the method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the expression of COX-2 and mPGES-1 at mRNA and protein levels was detected by the Real-time PCR and Western blotting methods respectively. The experimental results suggested that cinnamaldehyde could evidently reverse the increased production of PGE2induced by IL-1beta. Moreover, the up-regulated expression levels of mPGES-1 and COX-2 were significatly decreased. Together, these results provide compelling evidence that the down-regulated actions to both the production of PGE2 as well as the expression of mPGES-I might account for, at least in part, the anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic effects of cinnamaldehyde.
Acrolein ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Interleukin-1beta ; pharmacology ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Prostaglandin-E Synthases ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction