Objective To determine the contents of organic acids in different processed products and different parts of Schisandra Chinensis Fruits by HPLC;To discuss the influence of different processing methods on contents of organic acids.Methods Ecosil C18-AQ Column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5μm) was used with mobile phase of methanol-0.5% acetic acid (15∶85), at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was 260 nm for protocatechuic acid;mobile phase of acetonitrile∶15 mmol/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffered saline solution=3∶97 (phosphoric acid adjusting pH=3), at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was 210 nm for citric acid.Results The contents of protocatechuic acid and citric acid in Schisandra Chinensis Fruits, wine steaming and vinegar steaming Schisandra Chinensis Fruits were 0.0098%, 0.0124%, 0.0121% and 14.8293%, 14.1694%, 14.3650%, respectively. The contents of protocatechuic acid and citric acid in pulp, seeds were 0.0123%, 0.0090%, and 22.8810%, 3.8990%, respectively.Conclusion The protocatechuic acid was increased significantly after being processed, but citric acid showed a small change and had a slight downward trend. The two organic acids in pulp were higher than the two in seeds.

Objective To detect the genetic amplification and protein expression characteristics of aurora-A in ovarian cancer and to interpret the role of aurora-A gene in course of onset,progression and regression phases of ovarian cancer.Methods The amplification of aurora-A gene was detected by quantitative PCR in 6 normal ovarian tissues and 8 ovarian cancer samples,and its protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 6 normal ovarian tissues and 40 ovarian cancer samples,furthermore,the relationships between over-expression of aurora-A protein in ovarian cancer tissue and its pathologic classification,tissue differentiation,clinical phase,tumor proliferation trait and prognosis were analyzed.Results Quantitive PCR showed that aurora-A mRNA was significantly higher in 8 ovarian cancer samples than that in normal ovarian tissues(P0.05).Conclusion There are abnormal amplification and protein over-expression of aurora-A in ovarian cancer tissue,aurora-A probably play an important role in the onset and progression of ovarian cancer,and the novel biological treatment concerning aurora-A gene and its protein is probably a useful route for curing tumor.

Seven emotions generation relates to the interaction between individual and external objective matters,which is accompanied with interaction between internal desire and external matters.The activity of seven emotions bases on essence of zang-fu organs,being regulated by five zang viscera.Heart is the upstream controller,liver is the key organ to maintain normal emotionds,spleen and stomach is the hub of emotional activities,lung is the auxiliary organ, kidney is origin of emotional generation.Five zang viscera's cooperation and interaction generate the seven emotions.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in the quantity of colonizing Streptococcus mutans(S. mutans) and Actinomyces on the root surface plaque before and after post-core crown restoration of the mandibular first molars in the elderly patients.

METHODSA total of 30 elderly patients, each with one post-core crown restoration of the mandibular first molar, were randomly chosen to participate in the studies. Patients with mandibular first molars with post-core crown restoration and those with healthy contralateral mandibular first molars were divided into the test and control groups, respectively. Root surface plaques of the two groups were collected before tooth preparation, 72 h after preparation, one week after preparation, and one month after restoration. S. mutans, Actinomyces naeslundii (A. naeslundii) and Actinomyces viscosus (A. viscosus), were identified using colony morphology, biochemical techniques, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Plaque count was measured using microbial colony count.

RESULTSThe number of S. mutans and A. viscosus and A. naeslundii in the test group, which was statistically significant (P<0.05), increased 72 h after preparation. The quantities of S. mutans, A. viscosus, and A. naeslundii one week after preparation were significantly different (P<0.05). The plaque count of S. mutans, A. viscosus, and A. naeslundii in the test group decreased one month after restoration (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe quantities of S. mutans, A. viscosus and A. naeslundii increase one week after preparation but decrease one month after restoration. The finding suggests that dentists should educate patients about plaque control during the early period after tooth preparation.

Actinomyces ; Actinomyces viscosus ; Aged ; Bacteria ; Crowns ; Dental Plaque ; Humans ; Post and Core Technique ; Streptococcus mutans ; Tooth Root

AIM: To observe the effects of Decoction of Bu-Shen-Huo-Xue-Xie-Zhuo (BSHXXZ) on focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in rats. METHODS: Unilateral nephrectomy was adopted firstly, one week later adrimycin was intravenously adminstered to 20 rats twice in a 23-day period to establish an advanced focal segmental glomerulosclerosis model in the rat. Changes in urine protein, blood chemistry, and histology of the kidney were investigated for 110 days after unilateral nephrectomy. RESULTS: The BSHXXZ decoction reduced edema, proteinuria, hyperlipidemia, azotemia and ascites, and increased albumin in blood. Light microscopic, electron microscopic, immunohistochemical and polarizing microscopic examination all showed that the pathologic changes in the treatment group were less than that of the model group. CONCLUSION: Decoction of BSHXXZ could markedly improve renal function and delay the progression of glomerulosclerosis and renal interstitial fibrosis.

Objective To study the expression difference of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)and IGF-binding proteins-3,4,5(IGFBP-3,4,5)in the peripheral and local areas in senile hip fracture and discuss the correlation between the expression and the fracture types. Methods The study involved the senile patients (over 65 years) with hip fractures to compare the expressions of peripheral and local IGF-I and IGFBP-3,4,5 and observe the correlation between expression and fracture type.Results The serum and local specimens of 46 patients were collected,with lower level of BMD,IGF-I and IGFBP-3,5 in the intertrochanteric fracture group than the femoral neck fracture group(P<0.001)and with higher level of serum and local IGFBP-4 in the intertrochanteric fracture group than the femoral neck fracture group (P<0.001).Only local IGFBP-4 mRNA had positive correlation with serum markers (R=0.544,P<0.001). Conclusions The expression difference of IGF-I and IGFBP in the peripheral and local serum may be one of pathogenesis leading to different types of hip fractures.Except for the IGFBP-4,the other factors may affect the bone metabolism of the senile hip fractures through different regulatory mechanisms.

To find antibacterial candidate compounds, eighteen novel sulfonamide derivatives containing a fused-ring were designed and synthesized on the basis of previous studies, with structures confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and MS. Antibacterial activities of the products were evaluated by the agar dilution method. The results show that these derivatives have different degrees of inhibitory activity on the tested bacteria, with the compounds IIi and IIr the most potent. The MIC of IIi for S. aureus, E. coli and MRSA was 8, 32 and 16 μg·mL^-1, respectively, and the MIC of the IIr was 8, 64 and 32 μg·mL^-1, respectively. The anti-MRSA activities of the two compounds is significant and is worthy of further structural optimization and study.

To investigate the mechanism by which Schisandra Chinensis mediates the phenotypic transformation of microglia via microRNA-124 (miR-124)-based regulation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, a model was established using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of BV2 cells. Cells were treated with different doses of Schisandra Chinensis extract (SCE). MiR-124 inhibitors and negative control sequences (NC inhibitor) were transfected into LPS-induced BV2 cells and treated with SCE. The MTT assay was used for cell activity detection; an NO kit was used to measure NO release; ELISA kits were used to measure the levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Microglia markers, including ionized calcium binding adapter molecule-1 (IBA-1) and arginase-1 (Arg-1), and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining. NF-κB p65, IBA-1, Arg-1, TLR4, myeloid differentiation primary factor 88 (MyD88), inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B kinases-α (IKK-α), IL-10, TNF-α were detected by immunoblot. SCE at concentrations ranging from 31.25 to 250 μg·mL^-1 had no significant effect on cell activity. SCE treatment significantly inhibited NO release induced by LPS (P < 0.001, P < 0.01), increased the level of IL-10 (P < 0.05), and decreased the level of TNF-α (P < 0.001). In addition, SCE significantly reduced the expression of TNF-α, IBA-1, TLR4, and MyD88 (P < 0.01, P < 0.001) and elevated the expression of IL-10, Arg-1, NF-κB P65 and IKK-α (P < 0.001, P < 0.01, P < 0.05). SCE treatment could also promote the expression of miR-124 (P < 0.01). However, transfection with the miR-124 inhibitor increased TNF-α (P < 0.001), decreased the level of IL-10 (P < 0.05), increased the mRNA level and the protein expression of TNF-α and IBA-1 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001), and decreased the mRNA level and protein expression of IL-10 and Arg-1 (P < 0.001, P < 0.01). In addition, the inhibition of TLR4 and MyD88 was attenuated. In conclusion, SCE appears to inhibit the activation of TLR4 signaling pathway by upregulating miR-124 so as to inhibit microglia M1 polarization and promote microglia M2 polarization.

Objective: To identify the active ingredients, potential targets, and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis by bioinformatics method, and to explore the hypoglycemic effect of Rhizoma coptidis by in vitro experiments. Methods: The chemical components of Rhizoma coptidis were collected through database search, and oral bioavailability and drug-likeness were used for preliminary screening. The targets of Rhizoma coptidis and diabetes-related targets were collected by database retrieval and reverse docking techniques, and the biological process of cross-set proteins was analyzed. The inhibitory effects of Rhizoma coptidis on α-glucosidase, α-amylase activity, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were determined via in vitro experiments. In addition, the effects of Rhizoma coptidis on pre-adipocyte differentiation, absorption of glucose by adipocytes, and the level of intracellular triglyceride were investigated using the adipocyte differentiation model. Results: There were 11 potentially active ingredients in Rhizoma coptidis. IL-6, caspase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MYC, and estrogen receptor 1 were considered as the key genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rhizoma coptidis played an anti-diabetic role mainly via biological processes and signaling pathways including hormone receptor activity, glutathione binding, steroid binding, etc. In vitro experiments showed that the extract of Rhizoma coptidis inhibited the activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and the generation of AGEs; meanwhile, the extract promoted the absorption of glucose by adipocytes. In addition, the extract of Rhizoma coptidis decreased triglyceride level. Conclusions: Our network pharmacology and in vitro experiments demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects and possible underlying mechanisms of Rhizoma coptidis extract.

OBJECTIVETo provide a scientific basis for systematic research on the mechanism of chronic immobilization stress (CIS) induced metabolic network change in rats, through detecting the changes of endogenous metabolites in rats with CIS, treated or un-treated with Xiaoyao Powder (XYP), for determining the small molecule marker compound that closely associated with the metabonomical specificity of CIS and acting mechanism of XYP.

METHODSThirty-six experimental male SD rats were divided into 3 groups, the normal control group, the model group and the XYP group. And all the three groups were subdivided into two subgroups respectively on day 7 and day 21 of the experiment. The stress rat model of CIS was made by chronic restraining method for 3 h every day. Starting from the first day of modeling, XYP 3.854 g/kg in volume of 1 mL/100 g body weight was administered 1 h before restraining via gastrogavage to rats in the XYP group, while equal volume of distilled water was given to rats in the other two groups instead. Blood samples were collected on the 8 th day and 22 th day for detection in the following procedure: at 27 degrees C, 300 microL supernate of blood plasma was taken, calling the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) and longitudinal eddy-delay (LED) sequence respectively on a Fourier variable nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, pre-saturated inhibition of the water peak was performed; free induction decay (FID) signals were transferred via 32 k Fourier transformation to gain one-dimensional NMR spectrogram; by taking TSP as the chemical migration reference peak, the segmental integral calculus (0.04 ppm per segment) was performed from 4.5 - 0.5 ppm (CPMG) and 6.0 - 0 ppm (LED) within the peak ranges in 1H spectra using the VNMR software; after normalization, centering and scaling were conducted on data, then used for pattern recognition of principal component analysis (PCA) using the SIMCA-P 10.0 software, or if necessary, the partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) was performed.

RESULTS(1) The metabolites in the model group were significantly different from those in the control group, suggesting that the animal model was successfully established with the metabolic network different to that of control. The model group and the XYP group could be differentiated from the control group by the differences of metabolites and metabolic networks between groups; XYP could intervene the metabolites or the metabolic path to cause changes in final metabolites. (2) The serum contents of lactic acid (1.4, 4.16), choline (3.24), N-acetylgalactosamine (NAC) and saturated fatty acids (1-3) increased, but unsaturated fatty acids (1.99,4-5), blood sugar (34), HDL (0.83), etc. reduced in the CIS rats. XYP showed obvious regulatory effects on final metabolites, causing decrease of lactic acid, choline, NAC, saturated fatty acids and blood sugar, and increase of unsaturated fatty acids, blood sugar, HDL, 3.44 ppm compound, etc.

CONCLUSIONSThe metabolic phenotype in CIS rats includes the increase of lactic acid, choline, NAC, saturated fatty acid, and the decrease of blood sugar contents, unsaturated fatty acid, HDL, 3.44 ppm compound, etc., these may be the markers of the metabolites. The final metabolites changes induced by CIS are primarily the lipid substances. XYP markedly regulates the contents of final metabolites, showing the regulatory effects on final metabolites, but what is the metabolite or metabolic pathways it interferes to alter the final metabolites should be confirmed by further studies.

Animals ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Metabolomics ; Powders ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects