OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Wu-He Dipsacus asper (WHDA), Traditional Chinese Medicine, injection on mice-aging model induced by D-galactose.

METHODSForty-eight Kunming mice (24 male and 24 female) were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive control group, 7.2 g/kg WHDA group, 3.6 g/kg WHDA group and 1.8 g/kg WHDA group with eight in each group. The model was induced through injecting D-galactose into peritoneal cavity and Morris water maze was used to detect the learning and cognitive ability of mice. The skin hydroxyproline, brain tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), lipofuscin (LP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels of mice were detected; the IL-2 and IL-6 levels in serum of mice were detected by using double antibody sandwich ELISA method.

RESULTSEach WHDA group was significantly reduced in latency period compared with the model group during Morris water maze test (P < 0.05) and the number of mice in model group through the platform was less than other mice in each group (P < 0.05). The levels of MAD and LP of the control group and each WHDA group were less than model group in the detection of heart, brain tissue oxidation index (SOD, MAD, LP and GSH-Px, P < 0.05). The activity of SOD and GSH-Px in the control group and each WHDA group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P < 0.05). The skin hydroxyproline content of mice which had been injected with D-galactose was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05) and the skin hydroxyproline content of mice of WHDA group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P < 0.05). The IL-2, IL-6 levels in serum of mice in WHDA group were significantly higher than those in the control group and the model group (P < 0.05) and the IL-2, IL-6 levels in serum of mice in the model group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe effective constituents of WHDA have a variety of biological activity which can have a good effect on anti-aging by different ways, improving learning and memory function, eliminating free radicals antioxidant, and enhancing the body immunity and other aspects.

Aging ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Dipsacaceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Galactose ; toxicity ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Interleukins ; blood ; Learning ; drug effects ; Lipofuscin ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Skin ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Codonopsis ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; metabolism ; Female ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Selenium ; pharmacology

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Female ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Microcirculation ; physiology ; Rats ; Splanchnic Circulation ; physiology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; Codonopsis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism

Animals ; Codonopsis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fatigue ; Male ; Mitochondria, Heart ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Selenium

A cell model is desired for adipocyte differentiation investigation and for high-throughput screening of anti-obesity and anti-diabetes molecules from chemical resources due to the world wide epidemic of obesity and diabetes. In order to establish such a cell model, a plasmid of pPPARgamma2-promoter-EGFP was constructed by inserting a 660bp sequence of mouse PPARgamma2 promoter into the Ase I and Kpn I sites of pEGFP-N3 and transferred into 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. The cells were induced to differentiate and the expression of PPARgamma2 was detected by the microscopic observation of EGFP and by RT-PCR assays. The results showed that the EGFP gene expression patterns were similar to that of pPPARgamma2's, which indicated that the EGFP gene was transferred into the mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells, and its expression was under the control of pPPARgamma2 promoter. RT-PCR assays showed that the EGFP expression authentically represented the stable expression of PPARgamma2. In conclusion, a preadipocyte cell line expressing EGFP under the control of the promoter of adipocyte-specific expression gene PPARgamma2 was generated. The cell line provides a powerful approach for the research of adipocyte differentiation and for the high-throughput screening of anti-obesity and anti-diabetes chemicals.
3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; cytology ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Mice ; PPAR gamma ; genetics ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Stem Cells ; cytology

To investigate the expression patterns of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor2 (PPARgamma2) gene in the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells into adipocytes, mouse ES cells were transfected with the vector of pPPARgamma2-promoter-luciferase, and PPARgamma2 expressions were analyzed by detecting luciferase activities and by detecting the protein expressions using western blotting. The results showed that the gene PPARgamma2 did not express in undifferentiated mouse ES cells and in embryoid bodies (EBs) within the first 2 days of differentiation induction after EB formation, and began to express from the third day of differentiation induction after EB formation to the finish of the differentiation. The gene's expression in differentiated adipocytes was much stronger than that in differentiating preadipocytes. In Conclusion our results reported for the first time the five-step expression patterns of the gene PPARgamma2 during the whole differentiation procedures from mouse ES cells into adipocytes via preadipocytes, and supported the previous studies that PPARgamma2 is a fat-specific gene that expresses only in developed and developing adipose tissues.
Adipocytes ; cytology ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; genetics ; Cells, Cultured ; Electroporation ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; PPAR gamma ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Transfection

To observe the effects of total flavones of Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng (TFM) on volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy and the expression of c-Fos protein in rat. Methods　Volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy of rat was induced by aortocaval shunts. The rats were given ig TFM (400, 40 and 4 mg/kg/d). c-Fos protein in the ventricles were measured by immunocytochemical study. Results　TFM at the above dosage decreased heart weight and contents of RNA and protein in the myocardium, inhibited the expression of c-Fos protein in the ventricles. Conclusion　TFM can prevent volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy in rats. The inhibitory effects on the expression of c-Fos protein may be its mechanism in the molecular level.

The continuous cultivation of Rehmannia glutinosa causes the accumulation of phenolic acids in soil. It is supposed to be the reason of the so called "continuously cropping obstacle". In this study, phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, eugenol, vanillin and ferulic acid) were degraded by the extracta of all the tested spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and the maximal degradation rate was 75.3%, contributed by extraction of SMS of Pleurotus eryngii. Pot experiment indicated that hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillin in soil were also degraded effectively by SMS of P. eryngii. The employment of SMS enhanced ecophysiology index to near the normal levels, such as crown width, leaves number, leaf length, leaf width and height. At the same time, the fresh and dry weight and total catalpol concentration of tuberous root weight of R. glutinosa was increased to 2.70, 3.66, 2.25 times by employment of SMS, respectively. The increase of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes numbers in rhizosphere soil were observed after the employment of SMS by microbial counts. The employment of SMS also enhanced the enzyme activity in soils, such as sucrase, cellulase, phosphalase, urease and catelase. These results indicated that the employment of SMS alleviated the continuously cropping obstacle of R. glutinosa in some extent.
Agaricales ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Agriculture ; methods ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Hydroxybenzoates ; analysis ; metabolism ; Rehmannia ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Soil ; chemistry ; Soil Microbiology

Objective To discuss the characteristic of brachial plexus root avulsion injury of high resolution MR imaging and the value in diagnosing of brachial plexus root avulsion injury early.Methods Fourty-five cases of brachial plexus root avulsion injury patients had being used for investigation to find the characteristic and diagnostic value of MR image of brachial plexus root avulsion injury,which all have pre-operative MR imaging and were diagnosed brachial plexus root avulsion injury by intra-operative exploration and electrophysiology form February 2006 to February 2011.Results Post-traumatic spinalmeningolceles were seen in 42 cases,the frequency was 93.3％; Displacement of spinal cord was seen in 25 cases,the frequency was 55.6％; Absence of anterior and posterior root of spinal nerve was seen in 8 eases,the frequency was 17.8％;Black line sign was seen in 18 cases,the frequency was 40.0％.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of MRI in diagnosing brachial plexus root injury were 95.7％,77.8％ and 94.6％ respectively.Conclusion Posttraumatic spinalmeningolceles are most often seen in MR of brachial plexus root avulsion injury,this sign can play an important role in diagnosing and treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion injury.