This is a report of attempts to compare the growth yields of various species of fastidious mycobacterium inch1ding human pathogens and non-pathogens in the conventional Dubos liquid medium and two simple media formulated recently; one is a medium containing 0.1% hyaluronic acid and 6.0% bovine serum albumin and the other is a semisyntheic medium made of umbilical cord extract supplemented with 10% sheep serum as a final concentration. All mycobacterial strains employed in experiments gave the heaviest growth yields in the hyaluronic acid-bovine serum albumin medium (HAS medium), among the three media. Dubos liquid medium seemed to be inferior to a medium made of umbilical cord extract (UCE medium) in supporting mycobacterial growth. There were three-to seven-fold increases in dry weight of the bacteria grown in the HAS medium as compared with those in the Dubos liquid medium. We also looked for the possible effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA)in the HAS medium on mycobacterial growth. As a result, we found that the amount of BSA in the HAS medium, ranging from zero to 6.0% in the medium, showed no substantial effect on the mycobacteria1 growth.
Comparative Study ; Culture Media/standards* ; Female ; Human ; Hyaluronic Acid/isolation & purification ; Hyaluronic Acid/pharmacology* ; Mycobacterium/growth & development* ; Pregnancy ; Tissue Extracts* ; Umbilical Cord*

In this paper, a kind of skin dressing, agarose- grafting- hyaluronic acid (Ag-g-HA) sponge was applied to test the modified agarose based scaffold for skin regeneration. The bFGF loading agarose-grafting hyaluronan scaffold had homogenous porosities, and the loaded bFGF was bioactive in 2 weeks. The Ag-g-HA sponge was applied into skin of mice, and it was found that the dressing promoted skin regeneration and no infection and leakage in lesion site took place. H&E staining results showed that the repaired skin was similar to autologous skin. These demonstrate that Ag-g-HA sponge has a promise in skin regeneration.
Animals ; Bandages ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; physiology ; Hyaluronic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Seaweed ; chemistry ; Sepharose ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Surgical Sponges ; Wound Healing ; drug effects ; Wounds and Injuries ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the possibility of hyaluronic acid as densifier of Shuanguangliao eye-drops.

METHODThe factors related with hyaluronic acid s viscosity, such as pH-value and storing temperature, are tested in this experiment. At the same time, we checked the stimulation, stability of the densifier.

RESULTThere was not effect on viscosity of pH-value and storing temperature. No stimulation on the eye was found after densified with hyaluronic acid. The viscosity properties of hyaluronic acid are stablile.

CONCLUSIONThe hyaliuronic acid added to Shuanghuanglian eye-drops are stabiliable and it can be applied in eye-drops. The increased viscosity is benefit to extend the residence time of drug in eye.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Eye ; drug effects ; Female ; Hyaluronic Acid ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Temperature ; Viscosity ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effects of curcumin on exaggerated extracellular matrix accumulation of pulmonary fibrosis rats.

METHODOne hundred and forty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (24 rats in each group). Rats in the model control group, positive medicine group, and high, moderate and low curcumin groups were injected with a single dose of bleomycin by trachea, and rats in sham-model control group with same volume normal saline. One day after the injection, curcumin solution of different dosages (200, 100, 50 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) was respectively given to rats in the high, moderate and low curcumin group daily by gastrogavage, while equal volume of normal saline was given to those in the sham-model control group and model control group, and an equal volume of prednisone (0.56 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) was given to those in positive medicine control group. On the 7, 14, 28 days, 8 rats per treatment group were randomly killed, the levels of III-collagen, IV-collagen, laminin and hyaluronic acid in the serum were determined, the determination of hydroxyproline in lung homogenates was analyzed, and the lung was incised to make pathological sections which were stained with HE and Mallory.

RESULTCurcumin could decreas the levels of III-collagen, IV-collagen, laminin and hyaluronic acid in the serum, and inhihit the proliferation of fibrous tissue.

CONCLUSIONCurcumin may play its therapetuic role by leveling down the content of extracellular matrix in rats with pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin.

Animals ; Bleomycin ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Collagen Type III ; blood ; Collagen Type IV ; blood ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Curcumin ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; blood ; metabolism ; Hyaluronic Acid ; blood ; Hydroxyproline ; blood ; metabolism ; Laminin ; blood ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore therapeutic effect of Haobieyangyinruanjianfang (HBYYRJ) on mouse liver fibrosis by schistosomiasis.

METHODSMice except for normal control were infected with Japanese schistosome cercarias, after 12 weeks, infected mice were divided into 7 groups: low HBYYRJ group, middle HBYYRJ group, high HBYYRJ group, Fufangbiejiaruangan tablet (FFBJRG) group, colchicine group, 3 months infection group and 6 months infection group. Hepatic fibrosis was found in 3 months infection group. Liver hydroxyproline (Hyp) was determined, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9) were detected with gelatin zymography, serum hyaluronic acid (HA) and precollagen III (PC-III) were detected using RIA.

RESULTSHBYYRJ obviously reduced hepatic fibrosis (probability value less than 0.01). Collagen and HA in 3 months infection group and 6 months infection group were higher than that in normal group (probability value less than 0.01), collagen in high and middle HBYYRJ groups and HA in middle and low HBYYRJ groups were lower than that in 6 months infection group (P less than 0.01, probability value less than 0.05). The expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2 in 3 months infection group and 6 months infection group was higher than that in normal group (probability value less than 0.01), The expression of MMP-9 in three HBYYRJ groups and the expression of MMP-2 in high HBYYRJ group were lower than that in 6 months infection group (probability value less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHBYYRJ can reduce liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis.

Animals ; Collagen Type III ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hyaluronic Acid ; blood ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Schistosoma japonicum ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; complications ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sex Factors ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of compound Biejia Ruangan Prescription (CBRP) on extracelluar matrix in bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis rats.

METHOD54 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (9 rats in each group). Rats in the model control group, positive medicine group, and high, moderate and low CBRP groups were injected with bleomycin A5 by trachea, and rats in sham-model control group with same volume normal saline. 29 days after the injection, CBRP solution of different dosages (1.4 g x kg(-1), 0.7 g x kg(-1), 0.35 g x kg(-1)) was respectively given to rats in the high, moderate and low CBRP group by gavage, while equal volume of normal saline was given to those in the sham-model control group and model control group, and an equal volume of prednisone (0.56 mg x kg(-1)) was given to those in positive medicine control group. On the 80th day, the levels of III-collagen, IV-collagen, laminin and hyaluronic acid in the serum were determined, the determination of hydroxyproline in lung homogenates was analyzed, and the right lung was incised to make pathological sections which were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) and Masson staining for pathological diagnosis.

RESULTCBRP could decrease the levels of III-collagen, IV-collagen, laminin and hyaluronic acid in the serum.

CONCLUSIONCBRP may play its therapeutic role by leveling down the content of extracellular matrix in rats with pulmonary fibrosis induced by Bleomycin A5.

Animals ; Bleomycin ; analogs & derivatives ; Collagen Type III ; blood ; Collagen Type IV ; blood ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hyaluronic Acid ; blood ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Laminin ; blood ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Materia Medica ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley