Leech has a good anticoagulant activity and is one of the raw materials for treatment of many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This study was based on in vitro anticoagulant experiments( APTT and PT) to investigate the effects of lead contamination on the anticoagulant effect of leech. At present,the Hirudo circulating in the market are dominated by Whitmania pigra,therefore Wh. pigra were cultivated under a different lead pollution for 50 days. Then,the effects of Wh. pigra extract,extracting from different cultivating environment,on activated partial thrombin time( APTT) and prothrombin time( PT) were determined by automatic coagulation instrument. The results showed that the Wh. pigra extract significantly prolonged the APTT compared with the saline group.The APTT of the lead-high residual Wh. pigra was shorter than that of the blank Wh. pigra. The Wh. pigra extracts from different treatment groups had little effect on PT. The results showed that the lead residue in the Wh. pigra increased with the increase of lead in the cultured soil,the lead residual of the Pb-H group was( 10. 66±2. 79) mg·kg~(-1),which exceeded the lead limit specified in the 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The results indicated that growth environment pollution is one of the important factors causing excessive lead in Wh. pigra. Lead pollution will reduce the anticoagulant effect of Wh. pigra and affect its clinical efficacy.
Animals ; Anticoagulants ; Biological Products/pharmacology* ; Blood Coagulation ; Environmental Pollution ; Lead/toxicity* ; Leeches/drug effects* ; Prothrombin Time ; Thrombin Time

The present study was conducted to explores the effects of short-term addition of 17β-E2 on the growth,gonad development and internal quality of overwintering Whitmania pigra. Before overwintering,0. 0,1. 0,10. 0,25. 0,50. 0,100. 0 μg·L~(-1) of 17β-E2 were added to the aquaculture water for 6 weeks and then hibernated for 60 days. The changes of growth performance,gonad index,morphological structure of spermary( ovary),endogenous steroid hormones level and internal quality were measured. The results showed that the body weight,weight gain rate,specific growth rate,female gonad index,oocyte development and endogenous estrogen level of the leech increased first and then decreased with the increase of the concentration of exogenous 17β-E2,which were higher than those of the control group. The body weight,weight gain rate and specific growth rate of the leech at the concentration of 25 μg·L~(-1)17β-E2 were significantly higher than those of the other groups( P<0. 05),oocyte development and endogenous estrogen levels were significantly higher than those of other groups at the concentration of 50 μg·L~(-1)( P<0. 05). When the concentration of exogenous 17β-E2 was higher than 50 μg·L~(-1),the levels of male gonad index,spermatocyte development,endogenous androgen and progesterone were significantly inhibited( P< 0. 05). There was no significant difference in endogenous corticosteroid levels among the groups. In conclusion,short-term addition of exogenous 17β-E2 of 10-25 μg·L~(-1) could promote the growth of overwintering leeches,oocyte development and antithrombin activity without inhibiting the development of male gonads.
Androgens ; analysis ; Animals ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Estrogens ; analysis ; Female ; Gonads ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Hibernation ; Leeches ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Male ; Progesterone ; analysis

Shuxuetong (SXT) injection is the first animal original injection in traditional Chinese medicine, the main component are the leech and the earthworm. SXT has got five national invention patents, and is recognized as the most potent medicine expelling blood stasis agent, which indication is the only one be clearly approved by SFDA as the acute phase of cerebral infarction. Modern biological extraction technology is adopted to prepare SXT, the entire production process using only saline as a solvent. Patented product process is induced to maximize the retention of medicinal components and activity, as well as to remove invalid substances as variant protein,high molecular weight substances which causes allergic reactions. SXT have been isolated and identified class 7 of56 compounds, the molecular weight is from 100 to 1 700 Da, mainly including peptides, glycopeptides, endogenous small molecules.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; standards ; Humans ; Leeches ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Molecular Weight ; Oligochaeta ; chemistry ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of Naosaitong (NST) on the cerebral blood flow (CBF), the infarct areas and blood rheology in animals.

METHODNST's cerebral protective effects were investigated by using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), bilateral common carotid artery ligation, and carrogeenin-induced thrombus model rats, being administrated with medicine for seven days.

RESULTSThree dosage groups of NST increased CBF in anesthetized rabbits, reduced the infarct areas in MCAO rats, decreased the physical sign indexes, and water quantities. They increased the activities of Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and Catalase (CAT), decreased the contractions of Lipid peroxidase (LPO) and Lactate (LD) in the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats; shortened the length of thrombus and improved the blood rheology in the carrogeenin-induced thrombus model rats, and prolonged hypoxia-resisting time in mice.

CONCLUSIONNST can evidently increase CBF in rabbits, improve the cerebral edema brain tissues' injure and nervous physical sign indexes in the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, reduce the infarct areas in MCAO rats, postpone thrombosis course and have antioxidation effects, which show that NST can obviously protect the brain tissues in the experimental cerebral infarct model rats.

Animals ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; drug effects ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Leeches ; chemistry ; Ligusticum ; chemistry ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheology ; drug effects ; Rheum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the bone specimen of SANFH (steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head) and the effect of Gufuhuo decoction on local apoptosis of SANFH.

METHODModel rabbits of necrosis of femoral head, made by intragluteal injection with prednisone acetate, were killed after 6 weeks to study the apoptosis by means of TUNEL.

RESULTA great number of faded osteocytes and osteoblasts existed in specimen of SANFH. There was significant difference in apoptosis indexes between model and control group, Gufuhuo decoction and Xianlinggubao group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn the course of SANFH, the necrosis results from the interaction of apoptosis and necrosis of steroid-induced osteocytes and osteoblasts. Gufuhuo decoction has some effects on improving apoptosis and necrosis of SANFH.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; chemically induced ; pathology ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Leeches ; chemistry ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Osteoblasts ; pathology ; Osteocytes ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Prednisone ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation

The study aimed to investigate the intervening role of Didang decoction (DDD) at different times in macrovascular endothelial defense function, focusing on its effects on the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. The effects of DDD on mitochondrial energy metabolism were also investigated in rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs). Type 2 diabetes were induced in rats by streptozotocin (STZ) combined with high fat diet. Rats were randomly divided into non-intervention group, metformin group, simvastatin group, and early-, middle-, late-stage DDD groups. Normal rats were used as control. All the rats received 12 weeks of intervention or control treatment. Western blots were used to detect the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 1α (PGC-1α). Changes in the intracellular AMP and ATP levels were detected with ELISA. Real-time-PCR was used to detect the mRNA level of caspase-3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and Bcl-2. Compared to the diabetic non-intervention group, a significant increase in the expression of AMPKα1 and PGC-1α were observed in the early-stage, middle-stage DDD groups and simvastatin group (P < 0.05). The levels of Bcl-2, eNOS, and ATP were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the level of AMP and caspase-3 were decreased (P < 0.05) in the early-stage DDD group and simvastatin group. Early intervention with DDD enhances mitochondrial energy metabolism by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway and therefore may play a role in strengthening the defense function of large vascular endothelial cells and postpone the development of macrovascular diseases in diabetes.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; metabolism ; Animals ; Aorta ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Diptera ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Energy Metabolism ; drug effects ; Leeches ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Prunus persica ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; Signal Transduction