OBJECTIVETo observe the pollen morphological differences among different populations of Changium smyrnioides.

METHODThe pollen morphology of 10 populations were examined through LM and SEM observations.

RESULTPollens in different populations were distinguished from each other in the size, the largest average size was the pollen of the population cultivated in Hongshan, and the smallest was that of the population cultivated in Jiuhuashan. Pollens were oval-shaped in all of the populations, and P/E values were around 1.5. Typical feature of surface ornamentation was stripe-like structure, different populations were distinguished from each other in the texture depth and the gap. With different length and width in different populations, typical feature of germinal aperture was nearly square and 3 germinal furrows. Variation with 4 germinal apertures were found in the pollen of population cultivated in Hongshan.

CONCLUSIONDiversity of pollen morphology was high, and differentiation was strong in Ch. smyrnioides.

Apiaceae ; chemistry ; Cevanes ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Glycoproteins ; Plant Proteins ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Pollen ; growth & development

A biodegradable modified guar gum microsphere was prepared for the first time by ionic gelation of the guar gum derivative containing quarternary ammonium group with tripolyphosphate at room temperature in the absence of emulsifying agent or organic solvent. Its average particle diameter was about 140 microm and the particle size had a narrow and normal gauss distribution. From the loading experiment of bovine serum album (BSA) with various concentrations, it was found that the encapsulation efficiency is more than 80%. By the investigation of in vitro release from the BSA-loaded microsphere, it was found that the BSA had a continuous release for more than 6 hours and the release percentage was affected by the initial concentration of the BSA and temperature.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Galactans ; chemistry ; Mannans ; chemistry ; Microspheres ; Plant Gums ; chemistry ; Proteins ; administration & dosage ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; administration & dosage

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Fas Ligand Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Cirrhosis ; pathology ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Plant Oils ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; fas Receptor ; genetics ; metabolism

The effects of different timing of N fertilizer application at the same rate on grain beta-amylase activity, protein concentration, weight and malt quality of barley were studied. Grain beta-amylase activity and protein concentration were significantly higher in treatments where all top-dressed N fertilizer was applied at booting stage only or equally applied at two-leaf stage and booting stage than in the treatment where all top-dressed N fertilizer was applied at two-leaf age stage only. On the other hand, grain weight and malt extract decreased with increased N application at booting stage. There were obvious differences between barley varieties and experimental years in the grain and malt quality response to the timing of N fertilizer application. It was found that grain protein concentration was significantly and positively correlated with beta-amylase activity, but significantly and negatively correlated with malt extract and Kolbach index. The effect of grain protein concentration on malt quality was predominant over the effect of grain beta-amylase activity.
Agriculture ; methods ; Edible Grain ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Enzyme Activation ; Fertilizers ; Hordeum ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nitrogen ; administration & dosage ; Plant Proteins ; metabolism ; Statistics as Topic ; Time Factors ; beta-Amylase ; chemistry ; metabolism

Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. We evaluated the effect of CV on apoptotic regulator protein expression in liver cancer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats (200~250 g) were divided into eight groups: control group (normal diet), CDE group (choline deficient diet supplemented with ethionine in drinking water to induce hepatocarcinogenesis), CV groups with three different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight), and CDE groups treated with different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were sacrificed at various weeks and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin blocks for immunohistochemistry studies. CV, at increasing doses, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, but increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 8, in CDE rats, which was correlated with decreased hepatocytes proliferation and increased apoptosis as determined by bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis via decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of caspase 8 in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chlorella vulgaris ; chemistry ; Dietary Supplements ; Liver Neoplasms ; diet therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Treatment Outcome

Eight saporin peaks were obtained from the purification of seed extracts of Saponaria officinalis L. Saporin peak No. 6 (SAP-6) showed the highest activity in the inhibition of protein synthesis (98%) in an in vitro translation study. An immunotoxin (IT) was prepared from SAP-6 conjugated to a monoclonal anti-CEA antibody 26/5/1 (mab B) using N-succinimidyl pyridyl dithiopropionate (SPDP) and 2-iminothiolane as a cross linker. Under thermal stability study by a DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), the IT showed a denature temperature of 75 degrees C. In in vitro translation studies, the purified IT showed the same activity as SAP-6 at 10(-7) M and 10(-9) M protein concentration at 0, 30 and 60-min incubation effects with mab B and SAP-6 not conjugated at 24-hr incubation periods on human promyelocytic cell line HL 60 and on human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines which were SW 403, LoVo and LS 174 T. SAP-6, mab B and IT had no cytotoxic effect on HL-60. The IT showed a higher cytotoxic effect than SAP-6 in CEA-positive cell lines. The IT demonstrated the highest cytotoxic effect of 51% inhibition of control at 10(-7) M on the LS 174 T.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/*therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen/biosynthesis/*immunology ; Colonic Neoplasms/*pathology/therapy ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Immunotoxins/*therapeutic use ; *N-Glycosyl Hydrolases ; Plant Proteins/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1 ; Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effects

To study the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and angiotensin (Ang) 1-7 specific receptor Mas protain in renal blood vessels of metabolic syndrome ( MS) rats and its anti-oxidative effect. A total of 80 male SD rats were divided into four groups: the normal control group (NC, the same volume of normal saline), the MS group (high fat diet), the MS + Astragali Radix group (MS + HQ, 6 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) in gavage) and the MS + Valsartan group (MS + XST, 30 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) in gavage). After four weeks of intervention, their general indexes, biochemical indexes and blood pressure were measured; plasma and renal tissue Ang II, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide demutase (SOD) levels were measured with radioimmunoassay. The protein expressions of Mas receptor, AT1R, ACE and ACE2 were detected by western blot analysis. According to the result, compared with the NC group, the MS group and the MS + HQ group showed significant increases in systolic and diastolic pressures, body weight, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, free fatty acid and Ang II level of MS rats (P < 0.05). The MS + XST group showed notable decreases in systolic and diastolic pressures than that of the MS group. The MS group showed significant increases in the SOD activity and NO level and decrease in the MDA level after being intervened with Astragali Radix. ACE and AT1R protein expressions in renal tissues of the MS group were higher than that in the NC group, but with lower ACE2 and -Mas receptor expressions (all P < 0.05). Compared with the MS group, the MS + HQ group showed significant increase in Mas receptor expression in renal tissues, whereas the MS + XST group showed notable decrease in AT1R (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, Astragali Radix can increase the Mas receptor expressions in renal tissues, decrease ACE expression and change local Ang II, MDA, NO and SOD in kidneys, so as to protect early damages in renal tissues.
Angiotensin I ; metabolism ; Animals ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; injuries ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Metabolic Syndrome ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Peptide Fragments ; metabolism ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether Epimedium brevicornu Maxim (EB) and icariin could exert their protective effects on hydrocortisone induced (HCI) rats by regulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and endocrine system and the possible mechanism.

METHODSMale 10-week-old Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were allotted to 6 groups (A-F) with 12 each, group A was injected normal saline (NS) 3 mL/kg day intraperitoneally, group A and B were given NS 6 mL/kg day by gastrogavage, group B-F were injected hydrocortisone 15 mg/kg intraperitoneally, group C and D were given EB 8 or 5 g/(kg day) by gastrogavage, group E and F were given icariin 25 or 50 mg/(kg day) by gastrogavage. Gene expressions of hypothalamus corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and pituitary proopiomelanocortin (POMC) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and protein of pituitary POMC by Western-blot.

RESULTSThe serum T4, testosterone, cortisol and POMC mRNA expression were increased after treatment with EB or icariin in HCI rats, the serum CRH and the hypothalamus CRH mRNA expression released from hypothalamus corticotropin decreased compared with group B (P<0.05).The treatment with only icariin increased serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) compared with group B (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEB and icariin might be therapeutically beneficial in the treatment of HCI rats through attuning the HPA axis and endocrine system which was involved in the release of CRH in hypothalamic, and the production of POMC-derived peptide ACTH in anterior pituitary, the secretion of corticosteroids in adrenal cortex.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; blood ; genetics ; Epimedium ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Gene Expression ; Hydrocortisone ; pharmacology ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; drug effects ; Hypothalamus ; chemistry ; Male ; Pituitary-Adrenal System ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Pro-Opiomelanocortin ; chemistry ; genetics ; Proteins ; analysis ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

In the present study, we investigated anti-inflammatory effect of Cardamine komarovii flower (CKF) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). We determined the effect of CKF methanolic extracts on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6), and related protein expression levels of MyD88/TRIF signaling pathways in peritoneal macrophages (PMs). Nuclear translocation of NF-κB-p65 was analyzed by immunofluorescence. For the in vivo experiments, an ALI model was established to detect the number of inflammatory cells and inflammatory factors (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice. The pathological damage in lung tissues was evaluated through H&E staining. Our results showed that CKF can decrease the production of inflammatory mediators, such as NO and PGE2, by inhibiting their synthesis-related enzymes iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-induced PMs. In addition, CKF can downregulate the mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 to inhibit the production of inflammatory factors. Mechanism studies indicated that CKF possesses a fine anti-inflammatory effect by regulating MyD88/TRIF dependent signaling pathways. Immunocytochemistry staining showed that the CKF extract attenuates the LPS-induced translocation of NF-kB p65 subunit in the nucleus from the cytoplasm. In vivo experiments revealed that the number of inflammatory cells and IL-1β in BALF of mice decrease after CKF treatment. Histopathological observation of lung tissues showed that CKF can remarkably improve alveolar clearance and infiltration of interstitial and alveolar cells after LPS stimulation. In conclusion, our results suggest that CKF inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory response by inhibiting the MyD88/TRIF signaling pathways, thereby protecting mice from LPS-induced ALI.
Acute Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Cardamine ; chemistry ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Male ; Mice ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; genetics ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is involved in endothelium injury during the development of hypertension. Tribulus terrestris (TT) is used to treat hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and post-stroke syndrome in China. The present study aimed to determine the effects of aqueous TT extracts on endothelial injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and its protective effects against Ang II-induced injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). SHRs were administered intragastrically with TT (17.2 or 8.6 g·kg·d) for 6 weeks, using valsartan (13.5 mg·kg·d) as positive control. Blood pressure, heart rate, endothelial morphology of the thoracic aorta, serum levels of Ang II, endothelin-1 (ET-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA) were measured. The endothelial injury of HUVECs was induced by 2 × 10 mol·L Ang II. Cell Apoptosisapoptosis, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), ET-1, SOD, and MDA in the cell culture supernatant and cell migration were assayed. The expression of hypertension-linked genes and proteins were analyzed. TT decreased systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, mean arterial pressure and heart rate, improved endothelial integrity of thoracic aorta, and decreased serum leptin, Ang II, ET-1, NPY, and Hcy, while increased NO in SHRs. TT suppressed Ang II-induced HUVEC proliferation and apoptosis and prolonged the survival, and increased cell migration. TT regulated the ROS, and decreased mRNA expression of Akt1, JAK2, PI3Kα, Erk2, FAK, and NF-κB p65 and protein expression of Erk2, FAK, and NF-κB p65. In conclusion, TT demonstrated anti-hypertensive and endothelial protective effects by regulating Erk2, FAK and NF-κB p65.
Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; administration & dosage ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; genetics ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Tribulus ; chemistry