PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of essential oil on oxidative stress, immunity, and skin condition in atopic dermatitis (AD) induced mice. METHODS: This study was a 3x3 factorial design. Factors were oil type (Lavender, Thyme, and 2:1 mixture of lavender and thyme oil [blending oil]) and treatment period (0 day, 7 days, and 21 days). The samples were 45 mice with AD and randomly assigned to nine groups of five mice per group. The dependent variables such as superoxide radical, IgE, degranulated mast cells, and epidermal thickness were measured. Data were collected from February to April in 2014. Descriptive statistics, One-way ANOVA, Two-way ANOVA, and Tukey's HSD test were performed using the SPSS WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: Dependent variables were not statistically significantly different by the three oil types (p >.05). Essential oils such as lavender, thyme, and blending oil were all effective in reducing AD symptoms and especially 2:1 blending oil were most effective. There were statistically significant differences by the three treatment periods in all dependent variables (p <.001). There were statistically significant interactions between oil types and treatment periods in all dependent variables (p <.01). For decreasing superoxide radical, degranulated mast cells, and epidermal thickness, 2:1 mixed oil should be applied for at least 21 days. Otherwise to reduce IgE, 2:1 mixed oil should be used for at least 7 days. CONCLUSION: These findings provide bases for developing effective interventions for AD patients to manage their AD symptoms.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic/chemically induced/*drug therapy/pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; *Immunity/drug effects ; Immunoglobulin E/blood ; Lavandula/*chemistry/metabolism ; Mast Cells/cytology/metabolism ; Mice ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Oxidative Stress/drug effects ; Picryl Chloride/toxicity ; Plant Oils/chemistry/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Singlet Oxygen/metabolism ; Skin/drug effects/pathology ; Thymus Plant/*chemistry/metabolism

OBJECTIVEThis study was conducted to determine the histopathological and biochemical effects of Thymus algeriensis essential oil (TEO) on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in liver and kidney tissues of rats.

METHODSRats were treated in six groups and were exposed for 2 weeks to low (LD; 100 μmol/L) and high doses (HD; 1 mmol/L) of H2O2 in the presence or absence of TEO (180 mg/kg). Liver and kidney atrophy was measured by using biochemical and histopathological assays.

RESULTSOur study demonstrated that H2O2 induced liver and kidney atrophy, as evidenced by the significant elevation of serum aminotransferase, urea, and creatinine levels compared with those in the control rats. Urea levels were estimated by evaluating the activity of serum urease that hydrolyzes urea into CO2 and ammonia. However, TEO treatment significantly alleviated oxidative stress in the H2O2-induced liver and kidney toxicity model by reducing the levels of malondialdehyde concomitantly with marked elevations in superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase, as well as decrease in glutathione activity.

CONCLUSIONOur data demonstrated that TEO protected against H2O2 toxicity by decreasing oxidant levels and DNA damage, as well as increasing antioxidant levels, indicating that TEO has a spectrum of antioxidant and DNA-protective properties.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; metabolism ; toxicity ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiology ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Oils, Volatile ; pharmacology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; drug effects ; Thymus Plant ; chemistry

AIMTo isolate a complex polysaccharide (AMP-B) from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz and study its phtsico-chemical properties and hypoglycemic activity.

METHODSThe root of Atractylodes macrocephala K. was extracted with water and precipitated with ethanol, dialyzed against water and freeze-dried to get the crude polysaccharides (AMP). A complex polysaccharide (AMP-B) was isolated and purified on DEAE-cellulose column. The model of diabetes rats was established with alloxan injection through the tail vein. Male rats were divided into 5 groups: the normal group, the control group, and three AMP-B-fed groups. Measuring the blood glucose, water and food consumption, thymus and pancreas index, and studying cut sections of pancreas tissues.

RESULTSAMP-B is a complex-polysaccharide, elemental analysis of AMP-B shown C 32.84%, H 5.68%, and N 1.79%. The neutral polysaccharide content of AMP-B was 50.3%, uronic acid was 40.4%, and protein was 11.5%. Monosaccharide composition of AMP-B was determined by GC, AMP-B composed of Glc, Gal, Man, Ara and Rha in a molar ratio of 3.0:2.5:1.3:3.5:1.0. AMP-B was found to reduce blood glucose level in alloxan-diabetic rats markedly at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg.kg-1 by ig, but no effect in normal rat. AMP-B was found to decrease the consumption of water and food, recover pancreas damage of diabetic rats obviously, inhibited the atrophy of thymus and pancreas of the diabetic rats induced by alloxan.

CONCLUSIONAMP-B showed significant hypoglycemic effect on the experimental hyperglycemias rats induced by alloxan.

Animals ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Pancreas ; pathology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thymus Gland ; drug effects ; pathology

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of evodiamine on the proliferation and the immune function of thymocytes and splenocyte of mice from three germlines, which were 8 weeks old masculinity BALB/c, C57BL/6 and F1 hybridization mice. Cells of thymus and spleen were harvested and prepared as unicellular suspension. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT method, while the concentration of IL-2 was detected by ELISA, mRNA levels of bcl-2 and cdk2 in cells treated with evodiamine were detected by RT-PCR, the apoptosis rate and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration were analyzed by FCM, and the protein levels of BCL-2, CDK2 and BAX were determined by fluorescence microscope. The results indicated that at 0.5, 0.75 and 1 micromol/L, evodiamine inhibited the proliferation and externalization of thymocytes and splenocytes stimulated with ConA (p < 0.05). At 0.75 micromol/L, evodiamine inhibited the secretion of IL-2, decreased the mRNA level of bcl-2 and cdk2, and induced apoptosis of thymocytes and splenocytes (p < 0.05). Intracellular ROS concentration increased significantly after treatment with evodiamine for 12 hours (p < 0.05). The death rate increased at a prolong period of time. After treatment with evodiamine for 24 and 48 hours, the cells were divided into two groups, one of which was negatively stained by 2 7-dichlorofluorescein (DCF), which indicated that ROS level decreased significantly in the dying cells. It is concluded that evodiamine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of thymocytes and splenocytes from different germline mice, and at the same time decreases secretion of IL-2 through down-regulating bcl-2 and cdk2 levels.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Quinazolines ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Species Specificity ; Spleen ; cytology ; immunology ; Thymus Gland ; cytology ; immunology

OBJECTIVEThrough establishing different blood deficiency animal model, to evaluate enriching blood effect changes of the drug pair of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma and each single herb, and to explore the effect characteristics of their compatibility.

METHODThree different methods of acetyl phenylhydrazine (APH) hemolytic method, cyclophosphamide (CTX) chemical damage method, APH-CTX complex method were used respectively to copy different blood deficiency model mice. Changes of orbit blood routine, thymus index, spleen index and ATPase activity of red cell membrane of model mice were tested.

RESULTCompared with normal group, all indexes had significant differences in three model mice. The drug pair and each single herb had significant impact on most indexes of the APH-CTX complex model mice, and on the individual indexes of APH hemolytic model mice and CTX chemical damage model mice. Therefore, APH and CTX complex blood deficiency model was more suitable for the enriching blood mechanism study of the drug pair of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Compared with the single herb of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, the drug pair of them had presented enriching blood effect at different extent with strengthening trend in regulating the invigorating blood indexes, immune organs and energy metabolic enzymes.

CONCLUSIONThe results of this research have provided scientific basis for revealing the mutual promotive composition law of the drug pair of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and responded effectively the mult-link and mult-target effect characteristics of Chinese medicine bio-effect, to offer reference for the bio-effect research of the complicated substance group of Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medicine formulae, and to supply demonstrative reference for researching the formulae compatibility law which takes the single drug-drug pair-formulae as main line.

Administration, Oral ; Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Animals ; Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cyclophosphamide ; pharmacology ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Female ; Hematologic Diseases ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Hemoglobins ; drug effects ; Leukocytes ; drug effects ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Phenylhydrazines ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Spleen ; drug effects ; immunology ; Thymus Gland ; drug effects ; immunology