This study aims to establish a rapid and sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneously determining the content of strychnine and paeoniflorin in plasma and brain tissue of rats, and compare the pharmacokinetic behavior and brain tissue distribution of paeoniflorin combined with normal and toxic doses of strychnine in rats after percutaneous administration. Compared with those in the toxic-dose strychnine group, the AUC_(0-t), AUC_(0-∞), and C_(max) of strychnine decreased by 51.51%, 45.68%, and 46.03%, respectively(P<0.01), and the corresponding values of paeoniflorin increased by 91.41%, 102.31%, and 169.32%, respectively(P<0.01), in the compatibility group. Compared with the normal-dose strychnine group, the compatibility group showed insignificantly decreased C_(max), AUC_(0-t), and AUC_(0-∞) of strychnine, increased C_(max) and T_(max) of paeoniflorin(P<0.01), 66.88% increase in AUC_(0-t), and 70.55% increase in AUC_(0-∞) of paeoniflorin. In addition, the brain tissue concentration of strychnine decreased and that of paeoniflorin increased after compatibility. The combination of paeoniflorin with normal dose and toxic dose of strychnine can inhibit the percutaneous absorption of strychnine, and greatly promote the percutaneous penetration of paeoniflorin, whereas the interaction mechanism remains to be explored. The UPLC-MS/MS method established in this study is easy to operate and has good precision. It is suitable for in vivo study of pharmacokinetic behavior and brain tissue distribution of paeoniflorin and strychnine after percutaneous administration in rats, which provides reference for the safe and rational clinical use of strychnine and the combined use of drugs, and lays a solid foundation for the development of external preparations containing Strychni Semen.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Brain ; Bridged-Ring Compounds/pharmacology* ; Chromatography, Liquid/methods* ; Glucosides ; Monoterpenes ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Strychnine ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Tissue Distribution

The present study aims to predict the action targets of antidepressant active ingredients of Xiaoyaosan to understand the "multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways" mechanism. Using network pharmacology, the reported antidepressant active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan (saikosaponin A, saikosaponin C, saikosaponin D, ferulic acid, Z-ligustilide, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide II, atractylenolide III, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid and pachymic acid), were used to predict the targets of main active ingredients of Xiaoyaosan according to reversed pharmacophore matching method. The prediction was made via screening of the antidepressive drug targets approved by FDA in the DrugBank database and annotating the information of targets with the aid of MAS 3.0 biological molecular function software. The Cytoscape software was used to construct the Xiaoyaosan ingredients-targets-pathways network. The network analysis indicates that the active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan involve 25 targets in the energy metabolism-immune-signal transmutation relevant biological processes. The antidepressant effect of Xiaoyaosan reflects the features of traditional Chinese medicine in multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways. This research provides a scientific basis for elucidation of the antidepressant pharmacological mechanism of Xiaoyaosan.
Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Benzoates ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; Coumaric Acids ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; Glucosides ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; Lactones ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Monoterpenes ; Sesquiterpenes ; Software

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects and mechanism of blood enriching on mouse model of blood deficiency syndrome induced by cyclophosphamide of albiflorin and paeoniflorin.

METHODAlbiflorin and paeoniflorin were determined by using animal models of blood deficiency syndrome induced by cyclophosphamide. The amount of WBC, RBC, HGB, index of thymus gland and spleen, and the changes of GM-CSF, IL-3 and TNF-α in serum were detected after the treatment.

RESULTCompared with the model group, the amount of WBC in the group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin were increased obviously (P < 0.01). The amount of RBC in the group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin were increased obviously (P < 0.01, P < 0.001), which did not had a significant difference compared with the same dose. The index of thymus gland in the group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin was superior to the model group (P < 0.01), the difference was significant compared with the same dose of paeoniflorin (P < 0.05). The GM-CSF in serum in all groups of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin, 15 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin, 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin and 15 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin increased obviously (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.05); The IL-3 in serum in both group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin also increased (P < 0.001). The content of TNF-α in group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin were reduced (P < 0.01), which showed the obvious difference compared with the same dose group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAlbiflorin had the effect of blood enriching by regulating the immune function, same with the paeoniflorin. The probable mechanism of nourishing blood and liver of Paeoniae Radix Alba was not only the better effect of adjusting the content of TNF-α, but also might act synergistically with paeoniflorin.

Animals ; Blood Cells ; drug effects ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; pharmacology ; Cyclophosphamide ; toxicity ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; blood ; Hematopoiesis ; drug effects ; Interleukin-3 ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Monoterpenes ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Taxus canadensis distributed mainly in North America, such as northern Minnesota, Newfoundland, south to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Its composition has been shown to be very different from other species, and in recent years, some new skeletons also have been found in Canada yew. Through analysis of the taxanes content on various Taxus plants containing taxanes, the results showed a higher content of taxol in T. canadensis. Based on the current research on T. canadensis (from the research results of the author in recent years, as well as from studies of scholars in the field), the paper outlined the research progress in recent years on the chemical constituents of taxane of T. canadensis and the spectral characteristics of various types of compounds. Besides, this paper analyzed the present research about solutions for the taxol drug source crisis.
Animals ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Taxoids ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Taxus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of acetamide at different doses on the expression of inhibitory amino acids (gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA) and excitatory amino acid (glutamate, Glu) in the cerebral cortex of rats with acute tetramine (TET) poisoning.

METHODSEighty Sprague-Dawley rats (SPF) were randomly divided into five groups, with 16 rats in each group: saline control group, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control group, TET exposure group, high-dose (2.8 g/kg/d) acetamide treatment group, and super-high-dose (5.6 g/kg/d) acetamide treatment group. Rats in the exposure group and treatment groups were exposed to TET by intragastric administration after fasting, and were then intramuscularly injected with saline or different doses of acetamide in the following 5 days. The cortex of the temporal lobe was collected at 3 h, 12 h, 48 h, or 7 d after treatment. The expression levels of GABA and Glu in the cortex of the temporal lobe were determined by average optical density (OD) values in immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS1) Expression of GABA: The OD value of GABA in TET exposure group started to increase at 12 h after treatment, reached the peak at 48 h, and decreased to the normal level at 7 d. In the high-dose acetamide treatment group, the increase in OD at 12 h was not so significant as that in the TET exposure group, OD value decreased to the normal level at 48 h and was lower than that in the exposure group, and the changes were more like those in the control groups. In the super-high-dose acetamide treatment group, OD value began to increase significantly at 3 h and was significantly higher than that in the TET exposure group (P < 0.01), it reached the peak at 12 h, and was restored to the normal value at 48 h. 2) Expression of Glu: The OD value of Glu in TET exposure group at 3 h after treatment was significantly lower than those in the two control groups, it increased gradually from 12 h to 48 h, and recovered to the normal level at the 7th d. The changes in the high-dose acetamide treatment group were similar to those in the TET exposure group, but became more like those in the control groups after 48 h; the OD value in super-high-dose acetamide treatment group was significantly higher than that in the TET exposure group at 3 h after treatment (P < 0.01), while no significant difference was found at 12 h; it was significantly lower than those of all other groups at 48 h and 7 d (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSTreatment with high dose of acetamide has some curative effect on TET poisoning-induced central nervous lesion, while the effect of super-high-dose acetamide on expression of neurotransmitters is too complex to evaluate.

Acetamides ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; poisoning ; Cerebral Cortex ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of different doses of acetamide on the histopathology in the cerebral cortex of rats with tetramine (TET) poisoning and to provide a basis for the treatment of fluoroacetamide poisoning with acetamide.

METHODSEighty clean Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: saline control group,dimethylsulfoxide water solution control group,TET poisoning group, acetamide (2.88 g/kg/d) treatment group, and acetamide (5.68 g/kg/d) treatment group, with 16 rats in each group. Rats in the poisoning group and treatment groups were poisoned with TET by intragastric administration after fasting; then, saline was injected intramuscularly into rats of the poisoning group, and different doses of acetamide were injected intramuscularly into rats of treatment groups; the course of treatment was 5 d. At 3 h, 12 h, 48 h, and 7 d after treatment, the cerebral cortex was harvested from rats in each group, and the histopathological changes in the cerebral cortex were evaluated under light and electron microscopes.

RESULTSThe light microscopy showed that the TET poisoning group had hypoxia changes in the cerebral cortex, which worsened over time; the treatment groups had reduced hypoxia changes, and the acetamide (2.88 g/kg/d) treatment group had more reduction than the acetamide (5.68 g/kg/d) treatment group. The electron microscopy showed that the apoptosis of neuronal cells were the main pathological changes in the TET poisoning group; the treatment groups had reduced apoptotic changes, and the acetamide (2.88 g/kg/d) treatment group had more reduction than the acetamide (5.68 g/kg/d) treatment group.

CONCLUSIONNo pathological changes associated with the synergistic toxic effect of acetamide and TET are found in the cerebral cortex. Acetamide (2.88 g/kg/d) could reduce central nervous lesions, but the efficacy is not improved after increasing the dose. For patients who cannot be identified with TET or fluoroacetamide poisoning, acetamide could be considered for treatment.

Acetamides ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; toxicity ; Cerebral Cortex ; drug effects ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the blood enriching effects of Paeoniae Radix Rubra and Paeoniae Radix Alba, paeoniflorin and albiflorin on mouse model of blood deficiency caused by γ-ray radiation.

METHODBuild mouse model of blood deficiency induced by γ-ray radiation. Paeoniae Radix Rubra and Paeoniae Radix Alba were given during modeling. The amount of WBC was detected af- ter the treatment. Based on the result of WBC and paeoniflorin content, albiflorin content in Paeoniae Radix Rubra and Paeoniae Radix Alba, the same model and the same method were used to comparatively study the effect of blood enriching of paeoniflorin and albiflorin.

RESULTOn the 7th day, the amount of WBC in model mice treated with 2 g x kg(-1) Paeoniae Radix Alba and 2 g x kg(-1) Paeoniae Radix Rubra significantly increased compared with that of model group (P < 0.05). In another experiment with the same model, the amount of WBC in model mice treated with 120 mg x kg(-1) paeoflorin and 120 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared with that of model group on the 7th day. On the 10th day, the amount of WBC in rats treated with 120 mg x kg(-1) paeoflorin increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with that of model group. Compared with the same dose of paeoniflorin, the amount of WBC in mice treated with albiflorin had no significant difference.

CONCLUSIONAll Paeoniae Radix Alba, Paeoniae Radix Rubra, paeoniflorin and al- biflorin can raise the amount of WBC and have the effect of enriching blood induced by radiation, while paeoniflorin and albiflorin have a similar result in this model. The result indicated that both paeoniflorin and albiflorin are effective constituents in Paeoniae Radix Alba, and paeoniflorin work as the common effective constituent in both Paeoniae Radix Rubra and Paeoniae Radix Alba.

Animals ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; pharmacology ; Gamma Rays ; adverse effects ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Male ; Mice ; Monoterpenes ; pharmacology ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the neuroprotective effects and mechanism of paeoniflorin on Abeta25-35-induced oxidative stress in PC12 cells.

METHODThe proliferation of induced PC12 cells were investigated by the MTT method. The leakage rate of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the intracellular content of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were also measured. The changes of the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were investigated by flow cytometry using DCFH-DA and Rh123 staining. The protein expression of HO-1, Cyt C and cleaved Caspase-3 was detected by Western blot.

RESULTThe results showed that paeoniflorin at different doses (5, 10, 20 micromol . L-1) could increase the cell viability and activities of antioxidant enzyme (GSH-Px, SOD and HO-1), prevent LDH release and lipid peroxidation (MDA) production, decrease the level of intracellular ROS, increase MMP, inhibit the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and attenuate activation of Caspase-3.

CONCLUSIONPaeoniflorin can protect PC12 cells from Abeta25-35 oxidative stress injuries. The mechanism may be related to its antioxidant action and inhibition of mitochondria-mediated caspase signaling pathways.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; pharmacology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Monoterpenes ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; PC12 Cells ; Peptide Fragments ; toxicity ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Paeoniflorin (PF) is the chief active component of paeonia, with diverse pharmacological actions and wide application. Recently, the effect of PF on nervous system has attracted increasingly more attention. According to current study findings, PF can ameliorate the decline of memory and learning capacities in many dementia model animals, and have effect in protecting the cerebral ischemia injury, treating Parkinson's disease, reliving pain and improving neural synapse plasticity. Thought its mechanism has not been clarified, current findings show that adenosine A1 receptor plays an important role, while M cholinergic receptor, opiate receptor, calcium ion channel and NF-KB may also play a part in paeoniflorin's effect on nervous system.
Animals ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; pharmacology ; Calcium Channels ; metabolism ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Monoterpenes ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Nervous System ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Receptor, Adenosine A1 ; metabolism

The objective of the present study was to establish a method based on principal component analysis (PCA) for the study of transdermal delivery of multiple components in Chinese medicine, and to choose the best penetration enhancers for the active fraction of Xiangfusiwu decoction (BW) with this method. Improved Franz diffusion cells with isolated rat abdomen skins were carried out to experiment on the transdermal delivery of six active components, including ferulic acid, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, protopine, tetrahydropalmatine and tetrahydrocolumbamine. The concentrations of these components were determined by LC-MS/MS, then the total factor scores of the concentrations at different times were calculated using PCA and were employed instead of the concentrations to compute the cumulative amounts and steady fluxes, the latter of which were considered as the indexes for optimizing penetration enhancers. The results showed that compared to the control group, the steady fluxes of the other groups increased significantly and furthermore, 4% azone with 1% propylene glycol manifested the best effect. The six components could penetrate through skin well under the action of penetration enhancers. The method established in this study has been proved to be suitable for the study of transdermal delivery of multiple components, and it provided a scientific basis for preparation research of Xiangfusiwu decoction and moreover, it could be a reference for Chinese medicine research.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Alkenes ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Azepines ; pharmacology ; Benzophenanthridines ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Berberine Alkaloids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Coumaric Acids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Monoterpenes ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Permeability ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Principal Component Analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin Absorption ; drug effects