OBJECTIVETo develop a spectral assay for determination of pachyman sulfate (PS) in rat plasma and to study the pharmacokinetics after intraperitoneal and intravenous administrations of PS.

METHODThe spectral probe azur A (AA) was used to measure the concentration of PS in rat plasma, since AA could combine the sulfate groups in PS molecules and consequently induced the color change in solution. The optimal wavelengths, concentrations of plasma and AA in reaction system were determined by spectral scanning and serial tests. The plasma PS concentrations were measured at different time after intraperitoneal and intravenous administrations at the dosage of 60 and 20 mg x kg(-1), respectively.

RESULTThe optimal detecting wavelength was 620 nm. The maximum concentration of plasma and the optimal concentration of AA were 1.25% and 8.24 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1) in reaction system, respectively. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0-10 mg x L(-1) with a correlation coefficiency of 0.995 9. The mean recovery was 100. 55%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra-group and inter-group were all less than 5%. After intraperitoneal and intravenous administrations, the corresponding elimination half-lives were 319.09 min and 204.85 min, respectively. The elimination of PS in blood matched the open model of one compartment and first-order elimination. The bioavailability of PS via intraperitoneal injection was 69.12%.

CONCLUSIONThe spectral probe AA was convenience, sensitive, accurate and steady to use for measuring the concentration of PS in the blood of rats; this made the research work of PS-pharmacokinetics easy and concise.

Animals ; Glucans ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Poria ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrophotometry ; methods

beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide in the form of fiber and the main element of fiber in grains such as barley, oats, yeast and mushrooms. Many studies have examined the efficacy of beta-Glucan in terms of the lipid lowering effects, blood sugar reduction, weight reduction, immune modulator, and anticarcinogenic effect. However, there is no comprehensive review article on the biomedical issues regarding beta-Glucan. The authors searched for systematic reviews and clinical experiments for each relevant topic and reviewed the biomedical effects of beta-Glucan, for the purpose of developing research strategies for the future.
beta-Glucans/administration & dosage/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Infection/drug therapy ; Humans ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Dietary Supplements ; Dietary Fiber/administration & dosage/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Cholesterol/blood ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Anticholesteremic Agents/pharmacology ; Animals

AIMTo investigate the anticoagulant efficacy and mechanism of a semi-synthesized sodium beta-1,4-glucan sulfate (Na-MCS).

METHODSAnticoagulant activity was evaluated by means of coagulation assays in comparison with heparin. The anticoagulant mechanism of Na-MCS was disclosed by inhibitory analysis of the activities of coagulation factors using chromogenic substrates.

RESULTS0.6 microg x mL(-1) Na-MCS could significantly prolong APTT and TT, but has less effect on PT at an even higher concentration. The dosage of Na-MCS required to double APTT of normal human plasma was 0.7 microg x mL(-1), lower than that of heparin with the activity of 150 u x mg(-1).

CONCLUSIONNa-MCS represented a potent anticoagulation activity in vitro, which matched the efficacy of heparin in a certain range of concentrations. Na-MCS exhibited anticoagulant activity due to inhibition of the coagulation factors IIa and Xa by the mediation of anti-thrombin AT-III.

Anticoagulants ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Antithrombin III ; pharmacology ; Blood Coagulation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Factor Xa ; metabolism ; Glucans ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Heparin ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin ; metabolism ; Prothrombin Time ; Thrombin Time

The beta-glucans derived from yeast cell walls have been reported for having many immunomodulatory activities in vivo and in vitro. In this study, Aureobasidium-derived soluble branched (1,3-1,6) beta-glucan (Sophy beta-glucan) was checked for natural killer (NK) activity and for the production of IFN-gamma and IL-4 in Leishmania amazonensis infection. The main experiment was performed with a group of female C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, orally supplemented with 5% of Sophy beta-glucan and infected with promastogotes of L. amazonensis (1 x 10(7)) into the footpad. Increase in the footpad thickness with time was observed in BALB/c mice in spite of the oral Sophy beta-glucan supplement, but it was less in C57BL/6 mice. The difference in overall mean footpad thickness between 'infection only' versus 'infection + glucan' groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). High NK activity in C57BL/6 than BALB/c mice was observed in 'glucan only' group compared to the control group and also in 'infection + glucan' group compared to 'infection only' group. The difference in the NK activity among these groups was significant (P < 0.05). The IFN-gamma level increased at weeks 7 and 8 post-infection in C57BL/6 mice and was significantly high in 'infection + glucan' group compared to the 'infection only' group (P < 0.05). IL-4 levels did not increase up to detectable levels throughout the study. The results led a conclusion that Sophy beta-glucan enhances NK activity and cellular immunity in L. amazonensis-infected mice.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Ascomycota/*chemistry ; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic ; Female ; Foot/pathology ; Glucans/administration & dosage/*isolation & purification/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Immunologic Factors/administration & dosage/*isolation & purification/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Interferon-gamma/biosynthesis ; Interleukin-4/biosynthesis ; Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects/*immunology ; Leishmania mexicana/*immunology ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous/*drug therapy/immunology/pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Severity of Illness Index ; Time Factors