AIMTo study the role of the caudate-putamen (CPu)-hippocampus (HPC)-medial temporal lobe neocortex (MTNC) neural pathway in re-establishment of pathophysiological neural networks related to epileptogenesis.

METHODSExperiments were performed under anaesthesia on 45 SD rats. The right HPC, the right MTNC, bilateral HPC, the right HPC and the right MTNC depth electrographs were recorded with bipolar concentric electrodes. Tetanization (60 Hz, 2 s, 0.4 - 0.6 mA) of the right CPu or of the right HPC trains were used to establish acute rat epilepsy model. These depth electrographs were detected before or after tetani were delivered about 10 times at 10 min intervals.

RESULTSTetanization of the right CPu induced (1) primary afterdischarges and unilateral or bilateral HPC electrographic afterdischarges and kindling effect or inhibition-rebound-kindling effect were induced by repetitive tetani into the right CPu. (2) After injection of scopolamine (0.05 mg/kg i.p.), 3 Hz slow oscillations in HPC electrographs exhibited long-term potentiation followed by repetitive tetani into the right CPu. (3) After administration of scopolamine (i.p.) electrographic oscillations at 3Hz with synaptic modification in bilateral HPC were induced and epileptiform activities in the RHPC were synchronized with those in the RMTNC.

CONCLUSIONPathophysiological neural networks from the Cpu into the HPC might be reestablished by overactivation of the right CPu, in which two hemispheres are involved while temporal lobe epileptogenesis was facilitated.

Animals ; Caudate Nucleus ; physiology ; Electric Stimulation ; Hippocampus ; physiology ; Male ; Neocortex ; physiology ; Neural Pathways ; Putamen ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Temporal Lobe ; physiology

In this study, OVA-induced asthma mice was taken as the model, and orally administered with different concentration of ethanol extracts of crude and processed Stemona tuberosa, in order to determine the cytokine level released from Th1 and Th2 in splenocytes. RT-PCR was carried out to determine the genetic expression of T-bet/GATA-3 in lung, and compare the differentiation between ethanol extracts of crude and processed S. tuberosa in therapeutic effect on asthma in mice. According to the results, compared with the crude samples, processed samples significantly increased the levels of inflammatory factor INF-gamma (P < 0.05) and decreased IL-5 (P < 0.05) in splenocytes. According to the RT-PCR results, the administration of processed samples could increase the ratio of T-bet/GATA-3 (P < 0.05). The experiment showed that ethanol extracts of both crude and processed S. tuberosa could treat asthma by regulating Th1/Th2 ratio, but processed samples showed more notable effect. This indicated that crude and processed S. tuberosa had significant pharmacological difference. Therefore, it was more rational to apply processed S. tuberosa in clinical treatment of asthma and chronic cough, which layed a foundation for further revealing the processing mechanism of S. tuberosa.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; GATA3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Stemonaceae ; chemistry ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; metabolism ; Th1 Cells ; drug effects ; secretion ; Th2 Cells ; drug effects ; secretion

According to the designed specific primers of gene fragment based on the Salvia miltiorrhiza transcriptome data, a full-length cDNA sequence of SQS2 from S. miltiorrhiza f. alba was cloned by the method of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The SmSQS2 cDNA sequence was obtained, this sequence is named SmSQS2 and its GenBank registration number is KM244731. The full length of SmSQS2 cDNA was 1245 bp, encoding 414 amino acids including 5'UTR 115 bp and 3'UTR 237 bp. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that SmSQS2 had relative close relationship to the SQS2 of S. miltiorrhiza. The induction of E. coli [pET28-SQS2] in different temperature, induction time, IPTG concentrations and density of inducing host bacterium (A600) were performed, Shaking the culture at 30 degrees C until the A600 is approximately 0.6 and add IPTG to final concentration of 0.2 mmol x L(-1), and then the optimal expression of SmSQS2 recombinant protein were accumulated after the induction time of 20 h. The research provided important base for the study of sterol and terpene biosynthesis of SQS2 in S. miltiorrhiza f. alba.
Cloning, Molecular ; Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Sequence Alignment

Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Genes, BRCA1 ; Genes, BRCA2 ; Humans ; Mutation ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; genetics

According to the designed specific primers of gene fragment based on the Salvia miltiorrhiza transcriptome data, with the method of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), this study cloned full-length cDNA sequence of 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl-4-diphosphate synthase gene from Salvia miltiorrhiza bge.f.alba, this sequence is named as SmHDS and its GenBank registration number is KJ746807. SmHDS, 2 529 bp long, contains an ORF of 2 229 bp, encodes 742 amino acids, including 5' UTR 170 bp and 3' UTR 130 bp. Using bioinformatics software, having made a homology analysis of the obtained sequence, we can have a conclusion that SmHDS have a close genetic relationship with HDS of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Analysis result of prokaryotic expression revealed that in Escherichia coli, SmHDS expressed target proteins which in size are comparable with the protein predicted. Meanwhile, the 4 factors which can influence the protein expression were optimized, the 4 factors are inducing temperature, inducing time, IPTG concentrations and density of inducing host bacterium (A600). The optimal expression conditions of SmHDS were 30 degrees C until the A600 is 0.6, and add IPTG to a final concentration of 0.2 mmol x L(-1), and the induction time of 20 h. It provides theoretical basis for the further study of the function of 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl-4-diphosphate synthase in the biosynthesis of tanshinone compounds.
Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; biosynthesis ; Enzymes ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Plant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; enzymology ; genetics

Objective To compare the toxicity of outer membrane vesicles ( OMVs) secreted by Acinetobacter baumannii strains with different drug-resistance spectrums.Methods Four Acinetobacter baumannii strains with different drug-resistance spectrums were collected (strain 33, 3237, B29 and 10), and OMVs produced by these strains were extracted and purified.BCA assay was used to determine the protein concentrations, and RAW264.7 cells were incubated with different concentrations of OMVs for 24 h. Cell viability was measured with CCK-8 assay, and gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha ( TNF-α) , interleukin-6 ( IL-6) , interleukin-1 beta ( IL-1β) , keratinocyte-derived chemokine ( KC) and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR.One-way ANOVA was used for data analysis.Results According to the result of drug susceptibility test, strain 10 was extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ( XDRAB ) strain, strain B29 was multi-drug resistance Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) strain, while strain 33 and 3237 were non-MDRAB strains.After incubated with different concentrations of OMVs for 24 h, cell viability of RAW264.7 declined with the increase of OMVs concentrations.OMVs released from strain10, B29 and 3237 significantly lowered the cell viability at the concentration of 5 μg/mL, while the cytotoxicity of OMVs released from strain 33 was much weaker, and no remarkable decrease in cell viability was observed even at the concentration of 25 μg/mL.OMVs of all strains induced the release of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, KC and MIP-2 in RAW264.7 cells, and the levels of theses cytokines were increased with the concentration of OMVs.Inflammatory response in cells incubated with OMVs from strain 33 was the weakest, while OMVs from strain 10 induced strongest inflammatory response.KC and MIP-2 levels were significantly higher in RAW264.7 cells incubated with OMVs from strain 10 with a concentration of 5 μg/mL than that incubated with OMVs from other strains ( F=19.094 and 19.032,P<0.05 or <0.01).Conclusions OMVs from Acinetobacter baumannii strains with different drug-resistance spectrums are of different toxicity.OMVs from XDRAB and MDRAB strains have higher toxicities and may induce stronger inflammatory response.

The key to maximize the sensitivity of inner filter effect ( IFE)-based assay is to enlarge the overlap between the absorption spectra of the absorber and the excitation or emission spectra of the fluorophore. In this work, Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots ( QDs) were chosen for IFE-based detection of β-glucuronidase ( GUS) , since the excitation of QDs was perfectly overlapped with the absorption of the substrate of GUS, namely 4-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucuronide ( PNPG) . In addition, the phosphorescence emission from Mn-doped ZnS QDs could eliminate the fluorescence background from biological samples. Therefore, a simple turn-on phosphorescent GUS assay was developed, with the linear range of 10-300 U/L and limit of detection of 7 U/L (S/N=3).

A 38-year-old male patient presented with multiple papules on the scalp with itching and tingling for 3 years. Skin examination showed multiple millet- to soybean-sized red papules on the scalp. Histopathological examination showed epidermal hyperkeratosis, mildly thickened prickle cell layer, proliferation of a large number of capillaries in the dermis, and perivascular infiltration of closely distributed lymphocytes and scattered eosinophils. The blood vessels were lined by hyperplastic and hypertrophic endothelial cells, some of which projected into the vascular cavity. The patient was diagnosed with angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia. After 1 session of Nd:YAG laser therapy, all the skin lesions were removed, and no obvious adverse reactions were observed. No relapse occurred during 5 months of follow up.

How to identify active constituents of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and study their interactions are key problems in the development of TCMs. The inhibitory effect of six alkaloids from Rhizoma Coptidis (RC) on Shigella dysenteriae (S. dysenteria) growth had been investigated by microcalorimetry in this study. Main active constituents of RC were confirmed by comparing their contributions to the bacteriostatic effect, and the interactions among active constituents were further researched. According to the result, in 0.8 mg-mL-1 extract of RC, the contributions of six active alkaloids including berberine, coptisine, epiberberine, palmatine and the combination of jatrorrhizine and columbamine were 52.83%, 36.31%, 2.49%, 4.27% and 3.21%, respectively. Therefore, berberine and coptisine were the main active constituents of RC that inhibited the growth of S. dysenteria. The study of interactions among the six alkaloids indicated that, 1 there were some contstituents antagonizing the inhibitory effect of RC, 2 there was a synergy effect between berberine and coptisine, 3 there were additive effects between other four alkaloids and the main active constituents. These results may provide some useful references for the establishment of the quality standard for RC and the development of multi-component TCMs.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Berberine Alkaloids ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Drug Interactions ; Drug Synergism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Shigella dysenteriae ; drug effects ; growth & development

To investigate the role of volatile components in the compound and to find the substance foundation of Gualou Guizhi decoction (GLGZD) for curing extremities spasticity after stroke. The chemical compositions of essential oil, obtained by hydrodistillation from Gualou Guizhi decoction and its major constituting herbs (Trichosanthis Radix, Paeoniae Alba Radix, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Zingiberis Recens Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Ziziphi Jujubae Fructus) were analyzed by GC-MS to evaluate the correlativity between volatile components of GLGZD and its major constituting herbs, and volatile components after oral administration of GLGZD in the rats' brain. Volatile components of GLGZD are mainly derived from Cinnamomi Ramulus, Zingiberis Recens Rhizoma, Ziziphi Jujubae Fructus, Trichosanthis Radix. The volatile components in the brain is mostly derived from radix trichosanthis. Compared with individual herbs of GLGZD, the dissolution of the components increase or new components appear after compatibility of six herbs. Adminstrated with GLGZD, the results point out that volatile components in the brain play a neuroprotective role through passing the brain.
Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacology