AIM To investigate the anticonvulsive action of supercritical CO2 ethanol extract from Pinellia Pedatisecta Schott(SEE-CO2PP). METHODS The rat convulsive model was induced by penicillin localized injected in rat cortex. The effects of SEE-CO2PP on the latency of seizure and changes of convulsive behaviors were investigated. The latency of epileptiform discharge, and frequency and amplitude of highest wave in cortex and hippocampus were recorded by using RM6240C multichannel physiological signal collection and analysis recorder. At the same time, the contents of glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp), glycine (Gly) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in hippocampus were determined with high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS SEE-CO2PP 15 and 30 g·kg-1, ig, prolonged the latent period of seizure and weakened the extent. SEE-CO2PP also prolonged the latent period of epileptiform discharge, reduced the frequency and decreased amplitude of the highest wave in both cortex and hippocampus. Moreover, SEE-CO2PP increased the content of GABA in hippocampus, but the levels of Gly,Asp and Glu had no obvious changes. CONCLUSION SEE-CO2PP inhibits the epileptiform discharge and convulsive behaviors of convulsive model rats, which suggests SEE-CO2PP has anticonvulsive action.

Objective To investigate the effect of 12-lipoxygenase(12-LO) on the p27Kip1 expression in diabetic glomeruli. Methods Mesangial cells were exposed to 12-LO product 12 (S)-HETE (10-7 mmol/L) with or without p38 MAPK (p38) inhibitor (SB203580, 1 μmol/L) for 24 hours. Rats fed with high fat diet received low dose streptozotoein (ST-Z, 35 mg/kg, IP injection) to develop type 2 diabetes and were divided into 2 groups: low dose STZ, low dose STZ+12-LO inhibitor cinnamyl-3,4-dihydroxy-α-cynanocinnamate (CDC, 8 mg/kg) treatment. Rats fed with regular chow were divided into two groups: controls, CDC treatment. The rats received injection of CDC or vehicle subcutaneously in the hind leg. CDC or vehicle injection was performed three times weekly on alternate days. All the rats were sacrificed after 4 weeks, Wild type and 12-LO knockout C57BL/6 mice were divided into 4 groups: wild type control, 12-LO knockout, STZ-induced wild type type 1 diabetes and STZ-induced 12-LO knockout type 1 diabetes. All the mice were sacrificed after 16 weeks. Urine, blood, kidney cortical tissue and isolated glomeruli by sieving method were collected at the end of study respectively. Western blot and immunohistochemistry for target protein were performed respectively. Results Inhibition of p38 activation could significantly reduce p27Kip1 expression induced by 12 (S)-HETE in mesangial cells (P<0.01). Increased glomerular volume, microalbuminuria, elevated glomeluli p38 activation, p27Kip1 expresssion in type 2 diabetic glomeruli was decreased after CDC treatment (P<0.01). Compared with wild type diabetic mice, glomerular p38 activation, p27Kip1 exprcsssion and extracellular matrix accumulation in the 12-LO knockout diabetic mice were significantly decreased (P <0.01, respectively). Conclusions 12-LO induces p27kipl expression via p38 pathway in diabetic glomeruli.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevention effect of aqueous extract of Epimedii sagittatum (ESE) on ovariectomy-induced (OVX) bone loss in rats. METHODS: Rats were divided into sham-operated and OVX groups. The OVX rats were divided into four groups treated with distilled water, 17beta-estradiol (1 mg/kg, ig) and ESE (0.5 and 1 g/kg, ig) for 11 weeks. Serum calcium, phosphorus, estradiol, bone gla protein concentrations and serum alkaline phosphatase activity were measured. Bone density was assayed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The undecalcified longitudinal proximal tibial metaphysical sections were cut and stained for the bone histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS: In OVX rats, alkaline phosphatase activity in serum was markedly increased by ESE treatment, which had no obvious influence on the body weight. Meanwhile, atrophy of uterus and descent of bone mineral density were suppressed by ESE treatment. In addition, ESE completely corrected the decreased concentrations of calcium and E2 in serum observed in OVX rats. Histological results also showed ESE prevented the increases in trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) in OVX rats whereas it did not alter trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and trabecular number (Tb.N) in OVX rats. Moreover, ESE had remarkable effect on bone formation rate with bone volume as referent (BFR/BV) and bone formation rate with bone surface as referent (BFR/BS). CONCLUSION: The findings assessed on the basis of biochemical test, bone mineral density and histomorphometric parameters show that aqueous extract of Epimedii sagittatum has a definite antiosteoporotic effect and can prevent the OVX-induced bone loss in rats.

Aim To investigate Jaridonin′s selective killing of cancer cells and explore the related molecular mechanism. Methods After treatment by Jaridonin for 24 h, the effect of Jaridonin on the cell viability was examined using MTT assay. The effect of Jaridonin on cytomorphology and mitochondrial membrane poten-tial (Δψm) was observed by a fluorescence microsco-py. The apoptosis of cell lines treated with Jaridonin, as well as the level of reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Expression of the pro-teins related with mitochondria apoptosis pathways was detected by Western blot. Results Jaridonin caused strong antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on MGC-803 cells, but there were not remarkable effects on GES-1 cells. Furthermore, the expression of Bax was up-regulated, and the release of cytochrome c from mi-tochondria to cytosol was also promoted in MGC-803 cells treated by Jaridonin. The cleavage of caspase-3 in MGC-803 cells was also observed. Jaridonin increased persistently intracellular levels of ROS in MGC-803 cells, whereas the level of ROS in GES-1 rose in the first stage, and then decreased, and dropped to the basic level after 6 h. More interestingly, Jaridonin-in-duced ROS accumulation and the inhibition of MGC-803 cell proliferation were almost completely attenuated in the presence of GSH. Conclusions Jaridonin se-lectively kills cancer cells and induces apoptosis in MGC-803 through ROS-mediated mitochondrial dam-age.

The intestine is the largest immune and metabolic site in the body and is thus important for animal health.The integrity of the mucosal barrier and function are fundamental factors protecting the health of the intestine.Stress has been reported to have profound effects on the gastrointestinal tract,including altering gut permeability,the intestinal barrier,and homeostasis.Tryptophan is a functional essential amino acid that alters the gut microbiota and regulates intestine structural and functional change,thus contributing to host physiology and metabolism.Changes in tryptophan metabolism and its metabolites in brain and intestinal tissues during stress suggest that tryptophan may play an important role in the stress response.We therefore review the literature on the mechanisms underlying stress-related diseases and the role of tryptophan metabolism in the regulation of gut homeostasis,with particular focus on functional bowel disorders and their relationship to stress,to provide a theoretical foundation for targeting tryptophan in stress-related intestine diseases.

Objective To study the effects of Jaridonin, a novel diterpenoid from isodon rubescens, on the cell cycle of human gastric cancer cells and its molecular mechanism of action. Methods Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle distribution and expression of ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase ( ATM) after Jaridonin treatment. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of cell cycle?related proteins. Results The results of flow cytometry showed that the percentages of MGC?803 cells in G2/M phase at 6 hours after 0, 10, 20 μmol/L Jaridonin?treatment were (10.8±2.2)%, (18.2±2.5)%, (27.3±3.2)%, respectively;those at 12 hours after Jaridonin?treatment were (12.0±1.5)%, (24.1±2.0)%and (39.7±5.2)%, respectively, indicating a G2/M phase arrest of MGC?803 cells was resulted in a time?and dose?dependent manner. The expressions of ATM, Chk1, Chk2, phosphorylated Cdc2 and CDK2 were up?regulated in the MGC?803 cells after Jaridonin treatment, while the levels of Cdc2 and CDK2 were decreased. KU?55933, an inhibitor of ATM, reversed the expression of relevant proteins and G2/M phase arrest induced by Jaridonin. Conclusions Jaridonin can significantly induce G2/M arrest in gastric cancer MGC?803 cells. Its mechanism may be related to the activation of ATM and Chk1/2, and inactivation of Cdc2 and CDK2 phosphorylation.

Objective To study the effects of Jaridonin, a novel diterpenoid from isodon rubescens, on the cell cycle of human gastric cancer cells and its molecular mechanism of action. Methods Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle distribution and expression of ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase ( ATM) after Jaridonin treatment. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of cell cycle?related proteins. Results The results of flow cytometry showed that the percentages of MGC?803 cells in G2/M phase at 6 hours after 0, 10, 20 μmol/L Jaridonin?treatment were (10.8±2.2)%, (18.2±2.5)%, (27.3±3.2)%, respectively;those at 12 hours after Jaridonin?treatment were (12.0±1.5)%, (24.1±2.0)%and (39.7±5.2)%, respectively, indicating a G2/M phase arrest of MGC?803 cells was resulted in a time?and dose?dependent manner. The expressions of ATM, Chk1, Chk2, phosphorylated Cdc2 and CDK2 were up?regulated in the MGC?803 cells after Jaridonin treatment, while the levels of Cdc2 and CDK2 were decreased. KU?55933, an inhibitor of ATM, reversed the expression of relevant proteins and G2/M phase arrest induced by Jaridonin. Conclusions Jaridonin can significantly induce G2/M arrest in gastric cancer MGC?803 cells. Its mechanism may be related to the activation of ATM and Chk1/2, and inactivation of Cdc2 and CDK2 phosphorylation.

Intestinal homeostasis depends on complex interactions between the gut microbiota and host immune system. Emerging evidence indicates that the intestinal microbiota is a key player in autoimmune liver disease (AILD). Autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis have been linked to gut dysbiosis. Diverse mechanisms contribute to disturbances in intestinal homeostasis in AILD. Bacterial translocation and molecular mimicry can lead to hepatic inflammation and immune activation. Additionally, the gut and liver are continuously exposed to microbial metabolic products, mediating variable effects on liver immune pathologies. Importantly, microbiota-specific or associated immune responses, either hepatic or systemic, are abnormal in AILD. Comprehensive knowledge about host-microbiota interactions, included but not limited to this review, facilitates novel clinical practice from a microbiome-based perspective. However, many challenges and controversies remain in the microbiota field of AILD, and there is an urgent need for future investigations.

Objective:To investigate the expressional condition of interleukin-16 (IL-16) in the liver and serum of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).Methods:Liver biopsies samples were collected from 70 cases and 10 healthy controls, and serum samples were collected from 62 cases and 87 healthy controls. The expression of IL-16 in liver was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the serum level of IL-16 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between the expression level of IL-16 and the severity of disease was determined by correlation analysis with clinical biomarker. The t-test was used for normally distributed data. Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used for non-normally distributed data.Results:The expression level of IL-16 in the liver of PBC patients was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group ( P = 0.002 5), and it was mainly expressed in infiltrating lymphocytes in the portal area. Correlation analysis showed that the level of IL-16 in liver tissue was positively correlated with the degree of liver inflammation ( r = 0.36, P = 0.002). In addition, the serum IL-16 level of PBC patients were significantly higher than that of healthy people ( P = 0.000 5), and serum IL-16 level was correlated with the level of cholestasis biomarker γ-glutamyltransferase ( r = 0.31, P = 0.03). Conclusion:The expression level of IL-16 is significantly increased in liver and serum of PBC patients, and it is positively correlated with the severity of the disease, suggesting that IL-16 may be used as a biomarker to assess the severity of the disease.

Objective To conduct in vitro transdermal test on triamcinolone acetonide spray solution, and investigate the effects of ethanol and propylene glycol alone or in combination on the in vitro transdermal function of triamcinolone acetonide spray solution. Methods Rabbit abdominal skin was selected, and the in vitro penetration test of triamcinolone acetonide spray solution was carried out by Franz diffusion cell method, and the content of triamcinolone acetonide was determined by HPLC. The rate of transdermal absorption was compared. Results The transdermal absorption rate of the combined use of ethanol and propylene glycol was significantly higher than that of the single use (P<0.05), and the order of promoting the penetration of triamcinolone acetonide spray solution when ethanol and propylene glycol were combined by 10% ethanol + 25% propylene glycol >10% ethanol + 20% propylene glycol >15% ethanol + 25% propylene glycol >15% ethanol + 20% propylene glycol. Conclusion The combination of 10% ethanol and 25% propylene glycol could optimize the transdermal function of triamcinolone acetonide spray solution.