In recent years, the discovery and studies on aquaporin have made us have a more in-depth understanding about the physiological and pathological processes of water metabolism. Over years, however, there has been no quantitative study on the target sites of diuretic traditional Chinese medicines at the molecular level. In that case, aquaporin was found to been a new target molecule to explain the efficacy exertion of diuretic traditional Chinese medicines. By studying aquaporin, researchers can understand the implicit meaning of the diuretic effect of traditional Chinese medicines and conduct quantitative studies on the diuretic effect. So far, many scholars have conducted a series of studies in the traditional Chinese medicine field by using the findings on aquaporin and made certain advances. This article provides a summary about the efficacy exertion of diuretic traditional Chinese medicines through target molecule aquaporin.
Animals ; Aquaporins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Diuretics ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Water ; metabolism

This article was aimed to study the acute toxicities on intragastric administration of differentRadix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparataprocessed products to Beagle dogs. A total of 16 healthy and qualified Beagle dogs were randomly divided into the blank group,Pao-Fu-Pian(PFP) group,Pao-Tian-Xiong(PTX) group andHei-Shun-Pian(HSP) group according to the body weight. The intragastric administration of 4 g crude herb per kg was given. Before medication, 1 h, 24 h, and 3, 7, 14 days after medication, the body weight, food consumption, rectal temperature, electrocardiogram, blood routine and blood biochemistry were measured. The results showed that after medication, all dogs in three experimental groups were depressed. And there were significant differences in the electrolytes of blood. Among them, the HSP group was the most obvious one. The red blood cells, blood sugar and triglycerides of dogs in the PFP group had significant difference. The lymphocytes and blood sugar had significant difference of dogs in the PTX group. However, after the medication of HSP, the lymphocytes of the dogs were decreased significantly. It was concluded that the toxicity of three processed products followed the order of HSP > PFP > PTX.

The specification of decoction pieces and quality uniformity are the important factors to influence the efficacy of clinical medicine. Considering the deficiency of diversity, poor quality uniformity and confusion of decoction pieces specifications, we first propose a new idea of precision decoction pieces (PDP) based on clinical demands and fresh-processed technology. In order to explain the idea, a study case of aconite SUP is provided, including the optimized specification design, processing technology, extraction effects, quality uniformity, and toxic and efficacy variation and so on. The results showed that preparing 5 mm PDP by fresh-cutting is rather simple and practicable, with high efficiency and large yield; then, this technology could significantly decrease the ingredients loss and increase the efficacy components; moreover, it was helpful for achieving the quality uniformity and best extraction effects. This work revealed the quality superiority of PDP, and provided a good strategy and example for the standard of decoction pieces specification and modernization of processing technology.
Aconitum ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Particle Size ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Quality Control

Thrombospondin-1,an important extracellular matrix glycoprotein,is recognized as an effective endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor and can affect and regulate the adhesion,motility and proliferation of endothelial cells,as well as closely correlated with the development and progress of tumor and neovascular diseases.In recent years,it has been found that Tsp-1 is associated with many pathologic changes in diabetic retinopathy and is critical for the maintenance of retinal vascular balance.And the mechanism of action of TSP-1 and its role in the development of DR will be reviewed in this paper.

Drying is the critical link during pharmaceutical process of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is directly related to the quality of drugs. The key to technology upgrading of pharmaceutical equipment in Chinese materia medica enterprise is the development of new drying techniques, which concerns the modernization of TCM. The study provides new ideas for the drying technology and equipment by means of reviewing the research status of drying process for the traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations, and analyzing the traditional and modern drying methods and equipment, as well as their existing problems and corresponding measures for the drying processes and equipment. In addition, this paper expounds the development trend of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations of drying process and equipment.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; instrumentation ; methods ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; instrumentation ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

The aim was to construct and identify the mammalian expression vector of pCAG-IRES-SHIP-GFP and to detect whether it could express in human acute leukemia cell line K562.The cDNA fragment of SHIP obtained by RT-PCR was inserted into pCAG-IRES-GFP.The recombinant plasmid was confirmed by restriction enzyme digesiton,PCR and DNA sequecing.pCAG-IRES-SHIP-GFP was transfected into K562 cells with lipofectamine 2000.The expression of SHIP was determined by GFP fluorescence and Western blot analysis.FQ-PCR was used to quantitate SHIP mRNA.The expression of p-Akt,Akt were determined by Western blot.PI were tested by flow cytometry and MTT to verify whether exogenous SHIP could inhibit proliferation of K562 cells.The results showed that the correct constrution of the recombinant plasmid pCAG-IRES-SHIP-GFP has been shown by restriction enzyme digestion,PCR and DNA sequencing.pCAG-IRES-SHIP-GFP could express SHIP protein in K562 cells.The K562 cells viability after transfected with SHIP gene droped down.Western blot analysis showed that phospha-Akt308 and Akt473 were reduced to 38.7% and 68% respectively.It was concluded that the vector of pCAG-IRES-SHIP-GFP has been successfully constructed and it can be expressed in K562 cells.The expression of exogenous SHIP gene can lead to apoptosis of K562 cells by down-regulating the p-Akt expression.What found here might be one of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of leukemia.

Objective To investigate the effects of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH- a) and antagonist (GnRH-ant) on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced ovarian damage in rats.Methods Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided randomly into six groups,which received normal saline (NS),CTX,GnRH-a+NS,GnRH-a+CTX,GnRH-ant+NS,and GnRH-ant+CTX respectively.Levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E_2) were measured successively by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method,and half of the rats were killed in the first week and between the fourth and the fifth week after stop of medication,respectively to compare the weight of the ovaries and the number of the primordial follicles and the growth follicles.Results (1) Throughout experiment,the serum levels of FSH,LH and E_2 of the control group fluctuated slightly,while those in the CTX group kept rising.During medication treatment,compared with the control group[(118?16) ?g/L, (350?35) ?g/L] and the CTX group[(113?15) ?g/L,(289?42) ?g/L],the concentrations of LH [(42 ?8)-(47?7) ?g/L,(31?5)-(36?7) ?g/L] and FSH [(124?45)-(136?32)?g/L,(178 ?54)-(198+27)?g/L] in the GnRH-a groups and the GnRH-ant groups were maintained at low levels significantly and the levels of LH in the GnRH-ant groups were significantly lower than that in the GnRH-a groups,but the levels of FSH in the GnRH-ant groups were significantly higher than that in the GnRH-a groups(P0.05),but the levels of FSH,LH and E_2 of the GnRH-ant+CTX group rose obviously and were similar to the levels of the CTX group,especially the FSH,and the levels of LH and FSH of the GnRH- ant + CTX group [(156?12) ?g/L,(520?44) ?g/L] and the CTX group [(178?18) ?g/L,(546?36) ?g/L] were significantly higher than that of the other four groups [(121?15)-(132?13) ?g/L,(335 ?35)-(359?26) ?g/L] at the 4~(th)-5~(th) week after stop of treatment(P0.05),but the number of all kinds of follicles declined significantly in the GnRH-ant+CTX group[(195?15),(36?12)] and the CTX group [(212?11),(36?9)] compared to the other four groups[(302?15)-(690?43),(44?12)-(58?11),P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects in vitro of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on the proliferation and metabolism of rabbit mandibular condylar cartilage cells.

METHODSChondrocytes were derived from neonatal rabbit mandibular condylar cartilage using a modified enzyme method. 17 beta-estradiol was added to the culture medium in a variety of concentrations. Cell growth and DNA, collagen, and proteoglycan synthesis were used as indicators of proliferation and differentiation of condylar chondrocytes. These were measured by cell number, 3H-proline and 35S-incorporation, respectively.

RESULTSE2 increased cell number and 3H-thymidine incorporation at 10(-8) to 10(-10) mol/L, and 10(-8) to 10(-11) mol/L in a dose-dependent manner, peaking at 10(-8) mol/L and 10(-9) mol/L, respectively. However, further increase in the concentration of estradiol caused inhibition of both cell number and 3H-thymidine incorporation, and this was significant at 10(-6) mol/L. The effect of E2 on proteoglycan synthesis was similar; the maximum stimulating effect was at 10(-8) mol/L, and inhibition was significant at 10(-6) mol/L. There was no obvious stimulatory effect of E2 on 3H-thymidine incorporation observed.

CONCLUSIONSEstradiol affects condylar chondrocyte cell growth, DNA, and proteoglycan synthesis in a biphasic manner depending on its concentration. This indicates that estrogen may be important in the proliferation and differentiation of mandibular condylar chondrocytes, and could be relevant to some aspects of certain temporomandibular joint diseases by modulating the function of the chondrocytes.

Animals ; Cartilage, Articular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Mandibular Condyle ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rabbits

Objective To explore the roles of serum TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 in neonates with preterm birth. Methods A total of 120 neonates from neonatology department in the Xingtai People's Hospital were selected and divided into full-term group (n=40), premature rupture of fetal membranes (n=40) and idiopathic preterm group (n=40) based on the gestational age. The peripheral venous blood was collected within 30 minutes when the infants were born, and the supernatant was reserved after centrifuged. The levels of serum TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The levels of TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 in idiopathic preterm and premature rupture of fetal membranes were signiifcantly higher than that in full-term group and showed positive correlation. Conclusion Cytokines TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 maybe closely related to the preterm birth.