Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; blood ; pharmacology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; Disopyramide ; blood ; Humans ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects

A systematic review was undertaken, including studies that evaluated the incidence of the blood system adverse events of Tripterygium wilfordii (TWP). Medline, Embase and the Cochrane library were searched for relevant studies, including RCT, cohort studies and case series, of patients treated with TWP published in English and Chinese from inception up until May 25th, 2013 with the keywords including "Tripterygium wilfordii", "toxicity", "reproductive", "side effect", "adverse", "safety" and "tolerability". Relevant information was extracted and the incidence of the blood system adverse events was pooled with MetaAnalyst software. Besides, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed based on age, mode of medicine, observation time and disease system. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 49 articles were included in the meta-analysis, they were split into 54 researches incorporated in the analysis. There is a large degree of heterogeneity among the studies, so data was analyzed using random-effects model and the summary estimates of incidence of the blood system adverse events was 6.1%. The weighted combined incidence of three major blood system adverse events were white-blood cells decreasing 5.6% (95% CI, 4.3% - 7.3%), hemoglobin decreasing 1.7% (95% CI, 0.5% - 5.0%) and platelet decreasing 1.8% (95% CI, 1.0% - 3.1%), respectively . Sensitivity analyses based on 45 studies with high quality showed the combined value was close to the summary estimate of total 54 studies. The current evidence indicates that the incidence of the blood system adverse events induced by TWP was high; attentions should be paid on to the prevention and treatment of the blood system adverse events.
Blood Cells ; drug effects ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Tripterygium ; adverse effects

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is one of the dominant treatment options for advanced prostate cancer, which has been certified to significantly improve the overall survival of prostate cancer patients. However, it sometimes can also produce severe adverse effects on body metabolism. This review summarizes the adverse effects of ADT on body composition, the levels of cholesterol and blood glucose, and the cardiovascular system, and the intervention management of these metabolic complications as well.
Androgen Antagonists ; adverse effects ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; Body Composition ; drug effects ; Cardiovascular System ; drug effects ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; blood ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the action characteristics of "two-way application and conditioned dominance" of traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property by observing the action characteristic of 10 traditional Chinese medicines capable of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis with neutral property in the microcirculation in rats with heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome.

METHODThe rat model with heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome was established by injecting carrageenan and dry yeast, and the rat model with cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome was built by the body freezing method. Ten traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property, including 5 with hot property and 5 with cold property, were selected for intervention to observe blood flow rate and flow state indicators in rat auricles and make a comparative analysis on action characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property.

RESULTANOVA showed that among the 10 traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property, 6 such as Typhae Pollen, Sappan Lignum and Vaccariae Semen can obviously increase the blood flow rate (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) in the above two models; all of the 5 traditional Chinese medicines with cold property can increase the blood flow rate (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) in the rat model with heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, but only Salvia miltiorrhiza can increase the blood flow rate (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) in the rat models with cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, while other medicines showed no notable effect; among the 5 traditional Chinese medicines with hot property, Carthamus tinctorius and Ligusticum chuanxiong can increase the blood flow rate (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) in the rat models with cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, but had no obvious effect to the blood flow rate in the rat models with heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. According to the analysis on average blood flow rate, traditional Chinese medicines with natural and cold properties showed similar effect on heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome and better effect in increasing blood flow rate than those with hot property; those with natural and hot properties showed similar effect and better effect in increasing blood flow rate than those with cold property.

CONCLUSIONUnder the condition of heat stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property have the similar action characteristics with those with cold property; wile under the condition of cold stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property have the similar action characteristics with the Chinese medicinal herbs with hot property. This indicates the action characteristics of "two-way application and conditioned dominance" of traditional Chinese medicines with neutral property to some extent.

Animals ; Blood Circulation ; drug effects ; Blood Coagulation ; drug effects ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Rats ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo investigate choline promoting angiogenesis on chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM).

METHODSCAM model was prepared, the choline chloride, human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF) and normal saline were added respectively onto the carrier on the CAM, the state of angiogenesis was observed and the number of new blood vessels was counted.

RESULTSCholine chloride was tested at the concentrations of 0.5 nmol/L - 1 mmol/L in this experiment, when its concentrations were increased to 0.01 micromol/L - 1 000 micromol/L, it could stimulate angiogenesis, the minimum effective concentration was tested as 0.01 micromol/L, and its effect for promoting the angiogenesis was equivalent to that of hVEGF, the potent stimulator for angiogenesis.

CONCLUSIONThe result shows that choline can promote angiogenesis in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane.

Animals ; Chick Embryo ; blood supply ; drug effects ; Choline ; pharmacology ; Chorioallantoic Membrane ; blood supply ; drug effects ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of exogenous putrescine on renal function and cell apoptosis in rats.

METHODSNinety SD rats were randomized into control group (n=10), high-dose putrescine group (P1 group, n=40), and low-dose putrescine group (P2 group, n=40) with intraperitoneal injections of 2 ml of normal saline, 50 µg/g putrescine, and 25 µg/g putrescine, respectively. At 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the injections, 10 rats from each group were sacrificed to examine serum Cr and BUN levels, histological changes in the kidneys, and renal cell apoptosis (TUNEL assay).

RESULTSThe rats in the two putrescine- treated groups showed mild edema in some renal tissues without obvious necrosis. In P1 and P2 groups, serum Cr and BUN levels differed significantly at each time point of measurement (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively), and were significantly higher than the levels in the control group (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). The two putrescine-treated groups showed gradually increased renal cell apoptosis with time, reaching the peak levels at 96 h and 48 h, respectively. The peak renal cell apoptosis rates in P1 [(24.78∓2.19)%] and P2 [(26.27∓2.13)%] group were significantly higher than the rate in the control group [(4.47∓0.33)%, P<0.01].

CONCLUSIONExogenous putrescine can lead to renal function impairment and induce renal cell apoptosis in rats, and the severity of these changes appeared to be associated with the blood concentration of exogenous putrescine.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Putrescine ; adverse effects ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo evaluate effects of cypermethrin on the testis histology and testosterone, LH and FSH in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.

METHODSThe intact adult male rats were randomly divided into five groups and were treated with cypermethrin at doses of 0, 7.5, 15, 30, or 60 mg/kg per day by oral gavage for 15-days. After the treatments, serum was collected for hormone assays. The testes, epididymides, seminal vesicles, and prostates were excised and weighed. The right testis was frozen for daily sperm production and the left one was processed for histopathology.

RESULTSDaily sperm production decreased significantly in 30 and 60 mg/(kg•day) groups. Testicular structure abnormalities included atrophic and distorted seminiferous tubules, deformed and disordered arrangement of germ cells, reduced germ cells, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells, vacuolization and multinucleated formations of spermatids in the cypermethrin-treated rats. Vacuolization was found in Sertoli cells and the deformed nucleus was noted in Leydig cells. Serum testosterone reduced significantly in 30 and 60 mg/(kg•day) groups. Serum FSH increased significantly in 60 mg/(kg•day) group.

CONCLUSIONCypermethrin induces impairments of the seminiferous tubules structure and spermatogenesis in the rats. The damages of the male reproductive system may be attributed to the imbalance of circulating testosterone.

Animals ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; Male ; Prostate ; drug effects ; Pyrethrins ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seminal Vesicles ; drug effects ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; blood

Thrombotic diseases in different forms become a great threat to human health. Such anti-platelet aggregation drugs as aspirin and clopidogrel are common drugs in clinic. However, along with the appearance of resistance and side effects of western anti-platelet aggregation drugs, anti-platelet aggregation traditional Chinese medicines promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis have gradually become an important study orientation. Platelet is one of major participant in thrombosis, and plays an important role as a bioactive material in studies on traditional Chinese medicines promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, mainly involving two aspects--the evaluation for the anti-platelet aggregation activity of traditional Chinese medicines and the screening of their active components. This paper summarized the applications of platelets in studies on traditional Chinese medicines promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, so as to provide basis for further studies.
Animals ; Blood Circulation ; drug effects ; Blood Platelets ; drug effects ; physiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Thrombosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents/blood ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents/*pharmacology ; Blood Pressure/drug effects ; Cell Membrane/drug effects ; Disopyramide/blood ; Membrane Potentials/drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of ammonium perchlorate (AP) on the levels of thyroid hormone and the testis function of male rats.

METHODSTwenty male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, low, middle and high AP group. The rats were exposed orally to 0, 130, 260 and 520 mg AP/kg a day for 80 days. The levels of thyroid hormone, testosterone in serum and sperm motility were measured and the testis histological change was observed as well.

RESULTSThe increase of body weight in high AP group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The organ coefficients of testis and thyroid in high AP group obviously enhanced, as compared with the control group (P < 0.01). The free thyroxin (FT4) levels of serum in all AP treated groups were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). There were no differences of serum FT3 levels between all AP groups and control group, while serum TSH levels in middle and high AP groups decreased significantly, as compared with control group (P < 0.01). In terms of sperm motility, the percentage of Grade A and B sperm in middle and high groups were 12.3% +/- 2.52% and 14.8% +/- 5.93%, 17.7% +/- 4.63%, 15.8% +/- 2.28% respectively, which were significantly lower than that (27.8% +/- 8.70%) in control group (P < 0.01). The percentage of Grade D sperm in middle and high groups were 38.0% +/- 3.61% and 40.0% +/- 8.99%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that (17.0% +/- 5.00%) in control group (P < 0.01). No difference of serum testosterone level between all AP groups and control group was observed.

CONCLUSIONAP can influence the levels of thyroid hormone and reduce the serum FT4 levels in rats. The main toxic effects on male reproductive system may decrease the sperm motility.

Animals ; Male ; Perchlorates ; adverse effects ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; Thyroid Gland ; drug effects ; Thyrotropin ; blood ; Thyroxine ; blood ; Triiodothyronine ; blood