BACKGROUND: As a plant in valerianaceae, patrina villosa juss, which characterizes by acrid and bitter in taste and cold in nature, has been proved that its extract has effect on central inhibition.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of patrina villosa juss extract on hypoxia tolerance of mice and acknowledge whether it has dosage-dependence or not.DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal study.SETTING: Pharmacological Department and Pathological Department of Gannan Medical College.MATERIALS: The experiment was completed at the Laboratory of Scientific Research Center of Gannan Medical College from March to April 2005. A total of 100 healthy adult Kunming mice were selected in three hypoxia experiments.METHODS: ① Hypoxia tolerance experiment under normal pressure:Forty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups. Mice were injected intravenously with 2 μL/g saline in saline group, with 0.02 mg/g propranolol solution (10 g/L) in propranolol group, with 0.02 mg/g patrina villosa juss extract in 0.02 mg/g patrina villosa juss group, and 0.04 mg/g patrina villosa juss extract in 0.04 mg/g patrina villosa juss group, respectively. Twenty-five minutes later, mice were put into wide mouthed bottle with the volume of 250 mL and the bottle was enclosed to observe the survival time. ② Rapid decapitation experiment: Thirty mice were randomly divided into 3 groups. Mice were injected intravenously with 2 μL/g saline in saline group, with 0.02 mg/g patrina villosa juss extract in 0.02 mg/g patrina villosa juss group, and 0.04 mg/g patrina villosa juss extract in 0.04 mg/g patrina villosa juss group, respectively. Twenty-five minutes later, heads of mice were cut rapidly to record the time from decapitation to the last gasp. ③ Experiment for ligating bilateral common carotid artery: Thirty mice were randomly divided into 3 groups. Mice were perfused with 2 μL/g saline in saline group, with 0.01 mg/g patrina villosa juss extract in 0.01 mg/g patrina villosa juss group, and 0.015 mg/g patrina villosa juss extract in 0.015 mg/g patrina villosa juss group, respectively, once a day for 7 days in total. Seven days later, bilateral common carotid artery was ligated to observe time of respiratory arrest.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Survival time of hypoxia tolerance;② time from decapitation to the last gasp; ③ time from ligating bilateral common carotid artery to respiratory arrest.RESULTS: A total of 100 mice were involved in the final analysis. ① Survival time of hypoxia tolerance under normal pressure: Time in 0.02 mg/g and 0.04 mg/g patrina villosa juss groups was longer than that in saline group [(57.8±4.6), (76.2±4.9), (42.5±3.6) minutes, P ＜ 0.05, 0.01], but there was no significant difference from that in propranolol group (P ＞ 0.05).The higher the dosage was, the longer the survival time was. ② Gasping time of decapitation mice: Time in 0.02 mg/g and 0.04 mg/g patrina villosa juss groups was longer than that in saline group [(22.1 ±1.6),(25.3±2.2), (18.6±0.8) s, P ＜ 0.05, 0.01], and the higher the dosage was, the longer the survival time was. ③ Time of respiratory arrest: Time in 0.01 mg/g and 0.015 mg/g patrina villosa juss groups was longer than that in saline group [(123.4±25.1),(142.2±30.2), (86.0±12.8) s, P ＜ 0.05, 0.01], and the higher the dosage was, the longer the survival time was.CONCLUSION: Patrina villosa juss extract can improve symptom of myocardial hypoxia induced by cerebral hypoxia, whole-body hypoxia and increase of myocardial oxygen consumption; moreover, the higher the dosage is, the more remarkable the effect is. The mechanism is of possibility that patrina villosa juss extract can improve myocardial and cerebral oxygen consumption.

OBJECTIVETo observe protective effects of Schisandra extract (SE) on embryotoxicity and reproductive toxicity of early pregnant rats exposed to Benzo[a]pyrene (Bap).

METHODSPregnant rat model was prepared using periodic screening cage method. Totally 50 female pregnant SD rats were divided into five groups by randomized block design according to the weight, i.e., the BaP model group, the low dose SE group, the middle dose SE group, the high dose SE group, the normal control group, 10 rats in each group. Rats in the BaP model group were administered with BaP at a daily dose of 2 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Rats in low, middle, and high dose SE groups were administered by gastrogavage with BaP (at a daily dose of 2 mg/kg) plus SE at a daily dose of 40, 200, and 1 000 mg/kg, respectively. Equal volume of olive oil was administered to rats in the normal control group by gastrogavage. All medication was performed for 8 successive days. Changes of rat body weight in each period were observed. The uterus embryonic total quality and ovary quality were measured, and organ index calculated. The number of corpus luteum, the number of embryo implantation, and the number of absorbed embryo were statistically calculated respectively. The implantation rate and the absorbed embryos rate were calculated. Serum levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin β (β-HCG) and progesterone (PROG) were detected by ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the weight of 9-day pregnant rats, the number of embryo implantation, the uterus embryonic total index, ovary index, serum levels of β-HCG and PROG all decreased in the Bap model group with significant difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the Bap model group, body weight, the uterus embryonic total index, and the PROG level increased in 3 dose SE groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Ovary index and serum β-HCG increased in middle and high dose SE groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The number of implantation obviously increased in the high dose SE groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSE could reduce the embryotoxicity and reproductive toxicity of early pregnant rats exposed to Benzo[a]pyrene.

Animals ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; toxicity ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; blood ; Embryo Implantation ; drug effects ; Female ; Ovary ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone ; blood ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Schisandra ; chemistry ; Uterus ; drug effects

With the advance of drug development and research techniques, the drug metabolic processes and mechanism can be more deeply achieved. As the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics process are mediated by drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters, study of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters has become an important part for drug development. The traditional immunoassays with low sensitivity and poor specificity can not reflect the accurate expression level of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters. We now give a brief review on the quantitative study of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters by mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach.
Enzymes ; chemistry ; Humans ; Inactivation, Metabolic ; Mass Spectrometry ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; chemistry ; Pharmacokinetics ; Proteomics

The aim of this study is to identify the present status of the scientific and technological personnel in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) resource science. Based on the data from Chinese scientific research paper, an investigation regarding the number of the personnel, the distribution, their output of paper, their scientific research teams, high-yield authors and high-cited authors was conducted. The study covers seven subfields of traditional Chinese medicine identification, quality standard, Chinese medicine cultivation, harvest processing of TCM, market development and resource protection and resource management, as well as 82 widely used Chinese medicine species, such as Ginseng and Radix Astragali. One hundred and fifteen domain authority experts were selected based on the data of high-yield authors and high-cited authors. The database system platform "Skilled Scientific and Technological Personnel in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource Science-Chinese papers" was established. This platform successfully provided the retrieval result of the personnel, output of paper, and their core research team by input the study field, year, and Chinese medicine species. The investigation provides basic data of scientific and technological personnel in the field of traditional Chinese medicine resource science for administrative agencies and also evidence for the selection of scientific and technological personnel and construction of scientific research teams.
Bibliography of Medicine ; Biomedical Research ; manpower ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Laboratory Personnel ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development

Post-marketing evaluation is a process which evaluate the risks and benefits of drug clinical application comprehensively and systematically, scientific and systematic results of post-marketing evaluation not only can provide data support for clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine, but also can be a reliable basis for the supervision department to develop risk control measures. With the increasing demands for treatment and prevention of disease, traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used, and security issues are also exposed. How to find risk signal of traditional Chinese medicine in the early stages, carry out targeted evaluation work and control risk timely have become challenges in the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry.
Drug Evaluation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

AIM: To study the protective effects of Naokangning (Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Radix salviae miltiorrhizae, Hirudo, etc.) against cerebral ischemia. METHODS: We observed the effect of Naokangning on mice's resistance to cerebral ischemia when bilateral common carotid arteries and vagus nerves were ligated and hypoxia under normal pressure and airtight circumstance; With the model of partial cerebral ischemia by blocking rats'middle cer ebral artery (MACO):the effects of Naokangning on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and creatine kinas e(CK), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured. RESULTS: Naokangning significantly raised mice's ability of anti-cerebral ischemia and prolonged span of life in hypoxia, Moreover, it also obviously improved the activity of SOD, reduced content of MDA in cerebrum, content of NO and activity of CK in blood serum after ischemia. CONCLUSION: Naokangning could strikingly protect brain caused by cerebral ischemia.

The dissolution of substrate is the key step in steroid microbial conversion.The formation of surfactant micelle with a hydrophobic center directly results in increased pseudo-water-solubilities of hydrophobic compounds such as steroids.Results showed increased water solubility of steroid with the increased surfactant concentrations.Compared to mono-surfactant PSE,less quantity of multiple surfactants PSE-MGE was required to achieve the enhancement of steroid solubility at the same level,thus the negative effects of surfactants on mycelial growth were reduced and steroid conversion was therefore improved more.It was also shown that the surfactants and ultrasonic irradiation used jointly could result in better substrate dispersion and dissolution than surfactants used alone,and the best result was obtained when the comparatively high intensity (12.4 W/cm 2) and short time (5min) of ultrasonic irradiation were performed.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; genetics ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; pharmacology ; Electroporation ; methods ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 ; Transfection

The adverse reaction monitoring is important in warning the risks of traditional Chinese medicines at an early stage, finding potential quality problems and ensuring the safe clinical medication. In the study, efforts were made to investigate the risk signal mining techniques in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines, particularly the complexity in component, processing, compatibility, preparation and clinical medication, find early risk signals of traditional Chinese medicines and establish a traditional Chinese medicine safety evaluation system based on adverse reaction risk signals, in order to improve the target studies on traditional Chinese medicine safety, effective and timely control risks and solve the existing frequent safety issue in traditional Chinese medicines.
China ; epidemiology ; Drug Evaluation ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of Ginkgo biloba Tablet (GbT) on scavenger receptor A (SRA) of the aortic wall and changes of serum inflammatory factors in atherosclerotic rats, and to explore its new mechanism for fighting against atherosclerosis (AS).

METHODSTotally 45 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the GbT group, 15 rats in each group. Levels of blood glucose, blood lipids, blood calcium, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (slCAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were measured in all rats. The expression of SRA in the aortic wall of atherosclerotic rats was observed by immunohistochemical assay. The correlation between the expression of SRA and levels of in-flammatory factors was also observed.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, blood glucose and blood calcium obviously increased (P < 0.05); levels of TG, TC, and LDL-C were significantly elevated (P < 0.01); neointimal areas were significantly thickened, increased intima percentage was significantly enlarged, narrowed lumen index was significantly reduced; levels of CRP, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were significantly elevated in the model group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, blood glucose and blood calcium obviously decreased (P < 0.05); levels of TG, TC, and LDL-C significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the GbT group. Aortic lumens were obviously narrower in the model group than in the GbT group (P < 0.05). SRA expressed at the aortic wall. The aforesaid 3 indices were significantly improved in the GbT group than in the model group (P < 0.01). Serum levels of CRP, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were significantly decreased in the GbT group than in the model group (P < 0.01). Serum levels of CRP, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were positively correlated with the percentage of SRA positive expression area (r = 0.701, 0.604, 0.581, all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSerum levels of inflammatory factors in atherosclerotic rats were elevated, and the expression of SRA in the aortic wall was enhanced. The expression of SRA was closely correlated with serum levels of inflammatory factors. GbT could decrease serum levels of inflammatory factors and inhibit the expression of SRA.

Animals ; Aorta ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Calcium ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; blood ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Scavenger Receptors, Class A ; metabolism ; Tablets ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; blood