OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of Acanthopanax senticosus saponins (ASS) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

METHODThe myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by 30 min left anterior descending coronary occlusion and 120 min reperfusion in rats. The changes of myocardial infarct size (MIS), the serum creatine phosphokinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, the serum lipid peroxidation (LPO) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and plasma endothelin (ET), angiotensin II (Ang II), prostacycline (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) levels and myocardial free fatty acid (FFA) content of infarct and noninfarct area were determined.

RESULTIn rats treated by ASS (in a dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) i.v. at 30 min after coronary occulusion), the MIS was significantly reduced, the serum CK and LDH activity, the plasma ET, Ang II and TXA2 level and myocardial FFA content declined, while plasma PGI2 level and PGI2/TXA2 was increased signficantly. In addition, serum LPO content declined, SOD and GSH-Px activity were increased markedly.

CONCLUSIONASS has protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may be due to its function of improving free radicals and myocardial metabolism, decreasing plasma ET, Ang II and TXA2 levels and increasing plasma PGI2 level and PGI2/TXA2 ratio etc.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; Female ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of ginsenoside-Rb (G-Rb) on total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism and anti-oxidation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats.

METHODHyperlipidemia rats were respectively given G-Rb 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ig for twelve days. Total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol and lipid peroxidation (LPO) contents, prostacycline (PGI2), thromboxane (TXA2), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood viscosity were measured. Fat accumulation in liver was also observed.

RESULTTriglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in serum, TXA2 in plasma, LPO in serum and liver, and blood viscosity were decreased significantly. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) in serum, PGI2 in plasma and SOD in serum and liver were significantly increased by G-Rb (100, 200 mg x kg(-1)) in experimental hyperlipidemia rats. In addition, G-Rb could decrease TC/HDL-c, LDLc/HDL-c ratio, increase PGI2/TXA2 ratio and inhibit fat accumulation in liver.

CONCLUSIONG-Rb could have anti-arteriosclerosis effect by improving cholesterol and lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolism, suppressing lipid peroxidation, increasing anti-oxidase activity and PGI2/TXA2 ratio.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxides ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of compound acanthopanax senticosus injection (CASI) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia in rats.

METHODThe myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by 30 min coronary occulusion and 60 min reperfusion in openchest anesthetized rats. The changes of arrhythmia with electrocardiogram lead II, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ca2+ in myocardium were determined.

RESULTIn rats treated by CASI (in a dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) femoral vein infusion at 30 min after coronary occulusion), the incidence of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion ventricular arrhythmias, for instance the ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (Vf), was effectively prevented, the appearing time of arrhythmia was delayed and the duration of arrhythmia was shortened, while the elevated ST segment lowered as well. At the same time, the contents of myocardial Ca2+ and MDA were decreased significantly as well as the activities of myocardial SOD and GSH-Px increased markedly.

CONCLUSIONCASI is of protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia, which may be related to scavenging the oxygen free radicals and Ca2+ overload formed during reperfusion.

Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Electrocardiography ; Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; complications ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Panax ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

This study was to investigate the antiviral effects of a hot water soluble extract S-03 isolated from Isatis indigotica root on different subtypes of influenza A and B viruses in MDCK cell cultures, using plaque reduction, immunofluorescence and hemo-agglutination inhibition (HAD) assays. Chemical analysis of the extract S-03 showed that it contained high proportion of polysaccharides. The antiviral effects in vitro showed that the S-03 had no effect on different influenza viruses if the drug was used before virus adsorption, but S-03 showed obvious activities against influenza viruses if treatment after virus adsorption or direct reaction of drug and virus before virus adsorption. Hemagglutination inhibition assay showed that S-03 inhibited HA activities of different human influenza viruses (inhibition concentration ranged from 3.12 to 25 mg/mL), avain influenza viruses (inhibition concentration ranged from 25 to 50 mg/mL). The antiviral effects of S-03 on different influenza A and B viruses in vitro might be through the inhibition of the HA to prevent infection.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Dogs ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests ; Influenza A virus ; drug effects ; Influenza B virus ; drug effects ; Isatis ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots

OBJECTIVE To improve the poor water solubility and evaluating poor acitivity of etoposide (VP-16) by preparing VP-16 nanoparticle suspension (VP-16 NP) and its penetration through the blood-brain barrier (BBB).METHODS VP-16 NP was prepared with the anti-solution exchange method.The shape structure and diameter were observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. The drug release profiles of the VP-16 powder and VP-16 NP were measured.The effect of VP-16 NP on the growth of KB cells was observed via MTT assay. In addition, primary brain microvascular endothelial cells from 1stto 2nd generation of SD rats at two weeks of age were used to construct an in vitro BBB model.The classic 4 h leak test,trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) test and fluorescein disodium salt(FLU)perme?ability test were conducted to verify whether the in vitro BBB model was successfully established.RESULTS VP-16 NP was a solid sphere with a size of 140 nm detected by TEM,SEM and DLS.The cumulative release rate of VP-16 NP was 3 times that of VP-16 powder. The results of MTT colorimetric assay showed that VP-16 powder had no inhibitory effect on KB cells,while VP-16 NP could effectively inhibit KB cells. In the 4 h leakage experiment, the top and bottom chambers of the Transwell cell model could maintain a liquid surface distance of >0.5 cm,indicating that the in vitro BBB model was initially formed.The effective resistance value of the TEER experiment was 223 Ω·cm2,indicating that the in vitro BBB model was basically established. In FLU permeability experiments, the permeability coefficients were respectively (0.33±0.04)×10-3,(0.42±0.07)×10-3,and (0.52±0.06)×10-3cm·min-1at 15,30 and 60 min, indicating that the model had low permeability.The above three experiments suggested that the BBB in vitro model was successfully constructed. On this basis, the in vitro BBB model was used to evaluate the penetration of VP-16 NP at a permeability coefficient of (1.87±0.03)×10-3cm·min-1at 30 min,showing high permeability.VP-16 NP showed better penetration of BBB.CONCLUSION VP-16 NP is success?fully prepared,which increases the release rate of the drug,enhances the killing effect of the cells,and shows good penetration through the in vitro BBB model evaluation.

The present study was designed to explore the influence of water extracts of Atractylodes lancea rhizomes on the toxicity and anti-inflammatory effects of triptolide (TP). A water extract was prepared from A. lancea rhizomes and co-administered with TP in C57BL/6 mice. The toxicity was assayed by determining serum biochemical parameters and visceral indexes and by liver histopathological analysis. The hepatic CYP3A expression levels were detected using Western blotting and RT-PCR methods. The data showed that the water extract of A. lancea rhizomes reduced triptolide-induced toxicity, probably by inducing the hepatic expression of CYP3A. The anti-inflammatory effects of TP were evaluated in mice using a xylene-induced ear edema test. By comparing ear edema inhibition rates, we found that the water extract could also increase the anti-inflammatory effects of TP. In conclusion, our results suggested that the water extract of A. lancea rhizomes, used in combination with TP, has a potential in reducing TP-induced toxicity and enhancing its anti-inflammatory effects.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Atractylodes ; chemistry ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; Diterpenes ; toxicity ; Edema ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Enzyme Induction ; drug effects ; Epoxy Compounds ; toxicity ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Herb-Drug Interactions ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Phenanthrenes ; toxicity ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry

To analyze the genetic characterization of epidemic rubella virus strains isolated in Liaoning from 2007-2012, a total of 145 rubella virus strains were isolated using Vero/Slam cell line from the patients' throat swabs during rubella outbreaks and sporadics cases in Liaoning Province from 2007 to 2012. Fragments of 945 nucleotides containing 1E gene from 145 rubella virus isolates were amplified by RT-PCR, the PCR products were sequenced and analyzed. Based on the 739 nucleotides of 1E gene, the phylogenetic trees were constructed with 32 WHO rubella reference strains of 13 genotypes downloaded from GenBank and 145 rubella virus strains. The results showed that the 145 rubella virus strains in 2007 -2012 belonged to genotype 1E, nucleotide acids and amino acids similarities were 97.2%-100.0% and 97.6%-100.0%, respectively. Compared to the 1E reference strains(Rvi/ Dezhou.CHN/02, RVi/MYS/01), the nucleotide acids and amino acids similarities were 96.6%-99.2% and 98.2%-100.0%, respectively except for one amino acid change (Val246-Ala246) of RVi/Shenyang. Liaoning. CHN/13.11/13, and Asp262-Asn262 of RVi/Shenyang. Liaoning. CHN/13.11/4 and RVi/Liaoyang. Liaoning. CHN/26. 11/2. there had no change found in the important antigenic epitope sites, the hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization epitopes of the other rubella viruses. All the 145 strains isolated had the same amino acid change (Leu338--Phe338) in E1 protein. These findings suggested that genotype 1E of rubella virus was the predominant genotype in Liaoning province. the rubella prevailed in recent six years was mainly caused by rubella viruses genotype 1E with multi-transmission routes.
Amino Acid Sequence ; China ; epidemiology ; Epidemics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Rubella ; epidemiology ; virology ; Rubella virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Sequence Alignment ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics