OBJECTIVETo compare the influence of different Bupleurun chinense composition to the degree of hepatotoxicity damage to rats and oxidative damage mechanism.

METHODTo successively lavage alcohol extracted and water extracted B. chinense composition to rats for 30 days, the general conditions were observed and the related index of liver function, the content of total-SH in serum, the content of MDA, the activity of SOD and the content and activity of GSH and GSH-Px in serum and liver tissue were detected.

RESULTAlcohol and water extracted B. chinense composition all could induce the increases of the activity of ALT and AST in serum, liver weight and the ratio of liver to body, and the content of MDA and induce the decreses of the content of total -SH in serum, the content of GSH, and the activity of SOD and GSH-Px in serum and liver tissue. The above-mentioned changes gradually aggravated with dose increasing, and there was significant difference compared with control group with distilled water.

CONCLUSIONThe different B. chinense composition all can induce hepatotoxicity damage, and the channel of hepatic damage is related with the peroxidative damage mechanism. The degree of hepatotoxicity damage caused by the alcohol extracted composition is more serious than that by the water extracted composition.

Animals ; Bupleurum ; chemistry ; Dehydroascorbic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Female ; Liver ; drug effects ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Pro-oxidant properties of ascorbate have been studied with uses of brain tissues and neuronal cells. Here we address potential mechanism of ascorbate coupling with glutamate to generate oxidative stress, and the role which oxidized ascorbate (dehydroascorbate) transport plays in oxidative neuronal injury. Ascorbate in neurones can be depleted by adding glutamate in culture medium since endogenous ascorbate can be exchanged with glutamate, which enhances ascorbate/ dehydroascorbate transport by depleting ascorbate in the neurons with the glutamate-heteroexchange. However, ascorbate is known readily being oxidized to dehydroascorbate in the medium. Glutamate enhanced the dehydroascorbate uptake by cells via a glucose transporter (GLUT) from extracellular region, and cytosolic dehydroascorbate enhanced lipid peroxide production and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations. Iso-ascorbate, the epimer of ascorbate was ineffective in generating the oxidative stress. These observations support the current concept that the high rates of dehydroascorbate transport via a GLUT after the release of ascorbate by glutamate leads to peroxidation, the role of glutamate on ascorbate/ dehydroascorbate recycling being critical to induce neuronal death via an oxidative stress in the brain injury.
Animals ; Ascorbic Acid/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Biological Transport/drug effects ; Cerebral Cortex/*drug effects/*metabolism ; Cytochalasin B/pharmacology ; Dehydroascorbic Acid/*metabolism ; Glutamic Acid/*pharmacology ; Glutathione/metabolism ; In Vitro ; Lipid Peroxidation/*drug effects ; Male ; Oxidation-Reduction/drug effects ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effects and immunoregulation mechanism of the traditional Mongolian medicine Wuweifengshi capsule on adjuvant arthritis (AA).

METHODWister rats were divided into several groups: normal group, AA model group, Wuweifengshi capsule groups (with low, moderate, high dose of 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) respectively), and Zhonglun-5 group (original dose of 1.68 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)). The edema degree, the level of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, PGE2, NO and MDA and the activity of SOD in serum were detected. Through cell culture, the effects of the medicine on AA rat's splenic cell's multiplication capacity were studied. The influence of celiac macrophage cell culture fluid of AA rats' on C57BL/6J mice thymic cell multiplication capacity under the medicine was evaluated.

RESULTWuweifengshi capsule showed an inhibiting function on the level of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, PGE2, NO and increased the activity of SOD in serum, but showed no significant influence on MDA. It also inhibited the AA rat's splenic cell's multiplication capacity and the influence of celiac macrophage cell culture fluid of AA rat's on C57BL/6J mice thymic cell multiplication capacity.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-AA effect of Wuweifengshi capsule is possibly due to its inhibition of relevant cytokines and its adjustment of corresponding enzyme's activity and immunization organ's cell multiplication capacity.

Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Capsules ; Dehydroascorbic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Edema ; drug therapy ; Female ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; metabolism ; Male ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rats ; Spleen ; cytology ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism