OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Zhenqing Recipe (ZQR) on non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), and the expression of hepatic salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) and sterol-regulatory element binding protein-ic (SREBP-lc) in type 2 diabetes rats.

METHODSA rat model of type 2 diabetes was established by high fat/sucrose diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of small dose streptozotocin (STZ) . Modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group, the ZQR group, and the metformin group, 8 in each group. Eight rats were recruited as a normal control group. ZQR at the daily dose of 12 g crude drugs/kg was administered to rats in the ZQR group by gastrogavage. Metformin suspension at the daily dose of 150 mg/kg was administered to rats in the metformin group by gastrogavage. Equal volume of distilled water was administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. All medication lasted for 12 weeks. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), free fatty acid (FFA), serum triglyceride (TG), serum total cholesterol (TC), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected. The body weight and wet liver weight were weighed, and the liver weight index calculated. The liver TG content was measured. The pathological changes of liver and the expression of SIK1 were observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 and SREBP-1c were detected using RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, FBG, FFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST, liver weight index, and liver TG contents significantly increased (P < 0.01); liver steatosis was severe, the mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 obviously decreased (P < 0.01); mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c increased (P < 0.01). After drug therapy, compared with the model group, FBG, FFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST, and liver weight index significantly decreased, liver TG contents significantly decreased, the mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 obviously increased, while mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c obviously decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the ZQR group and the metformin group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); and the pathological changes were also improved. All the indices were improved more in the ZQR group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn this experiment, we found that the expression of SIK1 decreased in NAFL rats with type 2 diabetes. ZQR could alleviate lesion of NAFL type 2 diabetes rats possibly by up-regulating hepatic SIK1 expression at mRNA and protein levels.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 ; metabolism

AIM: To study the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection on rat atherosclerosis (AS), and elucidate the possible mechanism. METHODS: Wistar rats were fed with fat-rich diet and high dose of vitamin D_3 to induce AS, then treated with Salvia miltiorrhiza injection. Concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in serum were measured by automatic serum biochemical assay. The level of ICAM-1 protein and mRNA were determined by Western blot and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the AS model group, the levels of TG and TC in serum were significantly lower in Salvia miltiorrhiza injection group (P

The symbiotic bacterium exists in the intestines of entomopathogenic nematodes and is a potential biological agent.Systematic classification of these bacteria is scarce in China.In this paper,seven strains of symbiotic bacteria from local entomopathogenic nematodes were identified by both observation of mor-phology,physiological,biochemical characteristics and sequence analysis of 16S rDNA fragments.

AIMTo study the excretion of (-)-clausenamide in rats.

METHODSThe urine, feces and bile were collected at predetermined time points after (-)-clausenamide was orally administrated to 6 rats (30 mg x kg(-1)). The concentrations of (-)-clausenamide and its metabolite 6-OH-(-)-clausnamide were determined by HPLC-MS/MS method using glipzide as the internal reference, and the accumulative excretion amount of (-)-clausenamide and 6-OH-(-)-clausenamide was calculated in the urine, feces and bile, separately.

RESULTS(-)-Clausenamide was recovered mostly (44%) from feces in 112 hours, 7.1% was found from urine in 120 hours and 0.013% was detected from bile in 24 hours. The accumulative excretions of 6-OH-(-)-clausenamide were 0.92% , 0.46% and 0.0003% of the administered dose from feces, urine and bile, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe major amount of (-)-clausenamide was recovered from feces after (-)-clausenamide was orally administrated to rats (30 mg kg(-1)).

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Bile ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Clausena ; chemistry ; Feces ; chemistry ; Female ; Lactams ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; urine ; Lignans ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; urine ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Neuroprotective Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; urine ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stereoisomerism

AIMTo study the four diastereomers of leucogen and structure of the related substances.

METHODSLC-DAD, LC-MS/MS and LC- 1H NMR were used. LC was carried out with a Phenomnex Luna C18 (250 mm x 4.60 mm ID, 5 microm) column and a mobile phase of water-acetonitrile-glacial acetic acid (58:42: 0.3).

RESULTSThe structures of leucogen and its related substances were identified. Leucogen and the related substances were found to have four diastereomers in solution state separately. The stability and transformation of the four diastereomers were analyzed and 3R4S5R was found to be more stable than the others according to quantum calculations.

CONCLUSIONLeucogen have four diastereomers in solution state and it can transform from one diastereomer to the others, and the 3R4S5R is more stable than the others.

Chromatography, Liquid ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Quantum Theory ; Solutions ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Stereoisomerism ; Thiazolidines ; analysis ; chemistry

Objective To explore the relationship between free fatty acid(FFA)composition and other glucose and lipid metabolic parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome(MS)in community. Methods Serum FFA profile was measured with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in 158 patients with varied metabolic syndrome components(MSC),including 61 with MS and 97 at high-risk for MS,and 43 control subjects,with diagnostic criteria by the International Diabetes Federation(IDF).Results Patients with MS had higher parameters of polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA)and n6PUFA,as compared to the patients at high risk and normal subjects(P0.05). Among the high-risk group,those with diabetes had increased linoleic acid,n6PUFA and total fatty acid (TFA),and decreased saturated fatty acid(SFA)/TFA,as compared to those without diabetes(P

Objective To judge method performance of routine biochemistry parameters on Roche Modular PPI testing system by using westgard's method evaluation decision chart.Methods We assessed imprecision(CV)from internal quality control and inaccuracy(bias)from external quality control evaluation.Combined estimates of imprecision and inaccuracy by plotting imprecision as the x-coordinate and inaccuracy as the y-coordinate to locate an expected operating point of every item on the chart.By comparing this operating point with allowable total errors(TEa),we can decide whether the performance is acceptable or not.Results In the 27 different parameters tested,imprecision and bias of calcium were 0.08 mmol/L and 0.06 mmol/L respectively,its performance was marginal.The imprecision of creatinine,urea,glucose, sodium,chloride and phosphorus were 3.20%,2.13%,1.52%,0.89 mmol/L,1.10% and 1.55%,the bias were 4.79%,0.96%,4.63%,0.80 mmol/L,1.74% and 4.13% respectively,their performance was good.M1 other 20 items were of excellence performance.Conclusions Routine biochemistry parameters on Roche Modular PPI testing system possessed good precision and accuracy,and their performance were acceptable.To judge method performance of biochemistry testing system by using westgard' s method evaluation decision chart was easy to do and suited for clinical laboratory.

Objective To investigate the expression level and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA(LncRNA) growth arrest specific gene-antisense 1(GAS8-AS1) in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC) patients. Methods We investigated the expression profile of GAS8-AS1 in tissue samples of patients with PTMC as well as nodular goiter(NG) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR). Results GAS8-AS1 in cancer tissue was down-regulated in PTMC patients compared with adjacent thyroid tissue and NG samples(P<0.05). Lower level of GAS8-AS1 was also correlated with central cervical lymph node metastasis(CLNM, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for GAS8-AS1 was up to 0.717 3 in CLNM prediction(P<0.05). Conclusion GAS8-AS1 may act as a potential biomarker for PTC diagnosis and CLNM prediction.

Objective: To observe the effect of STC-1 gene expression was inhibited on the apoptosis, IL-1β and TNF-α expression and JAK2/STAT3 signal in esophageal cancer cells. Methods: Compared with normal human esophageal squamous epithelial cells Het-1 A, STC-1 expression was detected in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma KYSE170, Eca109, TE1 and TE10 cells by RTPCR and Western blot; the siRNA sequence that the synthesized STC-1 and the si NRA sequence without interference were transfected into Eca109 cells, which were labeled as STC-1-siRNA group and NC group, and the blank control group was set, cells were transfected for 48 h, the expression of STC-1 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Eca109 cell viability and apoptosis rate were detected by CCK8 and flow cytometry. IL-1β and TNF-α expression were detected by RT-PCR; the expression of Ki67, p53, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with Het-1 A cells, expression of STC-1 mRNA and protein in KYSE170, Eca109, TE1 and TE10 cells were increased significantly ( P＜0. 05); compared with the control group, STC-1 expression was decreased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group, cell viability was decreased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group, the apoptosis rate was increased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group; IL-1β, TNF-α, Ki67, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 expression were decreased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group, p53 expression was increased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group ( P＜0. 05). Conclusion: STC-1 was highly expressed in esophageal cancer cells; inhibiting of STC-1 expression could significantly reduce the activity of cancer cells, and increase apoptosis rate, this effect may be related to the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways and inflammatory factors as IL-1β and TNF-α.

Objective:The optimal biosynthesis of L-PAC by immobilized Sc-5 yeast cell was systematically studied in this paper.M ethod:Biosynthesis.Result and Conclusion:The average of L-PAC yield produced by the immobilized Sc-5 yeast cell is≥2 g*L －1 and half life≥240 h.