Xixin [Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt Var mandshuricum ( Maxim ) kitag] is a Chinese drug which has a little toxicityas recorded in ancient Chinese medical books. It was demon-strated in this article that the toxicity of Xixin was caused by itsessential oil. When the mice were administered with Xixin oil and its decoction without oil in equal doses separately, the mortality rate for the oil group was 70%, whereas no death was observed in the group of decoction without oil. By synchronous recording the EKG and EEG of cerebral cortex, hippocampus and reticular formation of midbrain in the rabbits, it was revealed that the EKG underwent following changes after the administration of Xixin oil: fast wave of low amplitude→slow wave of high amplitude→slow wave of low amplit ude→burst-suppression pattern→electrical silence. EEG vanished after the electrical silence of cerebral cortex,hippocampus and midbrain reticular formation.The LD50 and ED50 of Xixin oil was calculated 27.0?0.4ml/kg and 18.3?0.8ml/kg respectively,safety coefficient 1.47, being significantly less than control drug sodium amytal.

Objective:To elucidate the clinical effect of xingxiong sodium chloride injection on vertebralbasilar insufficiency.Method:98 patients with vertebralbasilar nsufficiency were randomly divided into two groups,(therapy group with 50 cases treated with xingxiong sodium chloride injection and the controlled group with 48 treated with danshen injec- tion.After 14 days,their clinical symptom change and haemodynamics parameters change were evaluated and detected by transcranial Doppler (TCD).Result:In the therapy group,45 cases (90%) were cured and in the controlled,30 cases (62.5%) were cured.The two groups presented a statistical significance (P

Objective To evaluate the effect of modulating gut microbiota for improving brain injury in rats with post-stroke depression.Methods Adult SD rats were randomized into normal control,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO),post-stroke depression(PSD),PSD with fecal transplantation,PSD with antibiotics(rifaximin),PSD with probiotics(lactobacilli),and PSD with fluoxetine treatment groups(n=9).Neurological function scores of the rats were determined,and the changes in sugar water preference and immobility time in forced swimming test were observed;plasma levels of trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)and hydrogen sulfide(H2S)were detected with ELISA,Occludin,and the expressions of occludin,caudin-5 and IgG proteins I the brain tissues were determined using Western blotting.Results Compared with those in the control group,the rats in MCAO and PSD groups had significantly increased neurological function scores,TMAO level,the ratio of TMAO/H2S,and immobility time in forced swimming test with a lowered level of H2S(P<0.05).These changes were more obvious in PSD rats,which also exhibited a reduced sugar water preference with increased IgG protein and decreased occluding and caudin-5 expressions in the brain tissue(P<0.05).TMAO/H2S ratio in PSD rats was positively correlated with neurological function score(R2=0.3235,P=0.0269)and immobility time in swimming(R2=0.6290,P=0.0004)and negatively with sugar water preference(R2=-0.4534,P=0.0059).Treatment with fecal transplantation,antibiotics,probiotics and fluoxetine all significantly reduced neurological function scores,immobility time in forced swimming,TMAO/H2S ratio,and IgG protein expression and increased sugar water preference and brain occludin and caudin-5 expressions of the PSD rats(P<0.05).Conclusion In PSD rats,TMAO/H2S ratio is correlated with neurological function score,immobility time in forced swimming and sugar water preference,and modulating intestinal flora can improve neurological function and depressive symptoms and improve the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.

Objective To evaluate the effect of modulating gut microbiota for improving brain injury in rats with post-stroke depression.Methods Adult SD rats were randomized into normal control,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO),post-stroke depression(PSD),PSD with fecal transplantation,PSD with antibiotics(rifaximin),PSD with probiotics(lactobacilli),and PSD with fluoxetine treatment groups(n=9).Neurological function scores of the rats were determined,and the changes in sugar water preference and immobility time in forced swimming test were observed;plasma levels of trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)and hydrogen sulfide(H2S)were detected with ELISA,Occludin,and the expressions of occludin,caudin-5 and IgG proteins I the brain tissues were determined using Western blotting.Results Compared with those in the control group,the rats in MCAO and PSD groups had significantly increased neurological function scores,TMAO level,the ratio of TMAO/H2S,and immobility time in forced swimming test with a lowered level of H2S(P<0.05).These changes were more obvious in PSD rats,which also exhibited a reduced sugar water preference with increased IgG protein and decreased occluding and caudin-5 expressions in the brain tissue(P<0.05).TMAO/H2S ratio in PSD rats was positively correlated with neurological function score(R2=0.3235,P=0.0269)and immobility time in swimming(R2=0.6290,P=0.0004)and negatively with sugar water preference(R2=-0.4534,P=0.0059).Treatment with fecal transplantation,antibiotics,probiotics and fluoxetine all significantly reduced neurological function scores,immobility time in forced swimming,TMAO/H2S ratio,and IgG protein expression and increased sugar water preference and brain occludin and caudin-5 expressions of the PSD rats(P<0.05).Conclusion In PSD rats,TMAO/H2S ratio is correlated with neurological function score,immobility time in forced swimming and sugar water preference,and modulating intestinal flora can improve neurological function and depressive symptoms and improve the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.