OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of acupoint sticking of "Hua yutie" in improving ischemic stroke.

METHODSEighty rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, a model group, an acupoint sticking group, an acupuncture group, a Nimodipine group and a normal group. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used for preparation of focal cerebral ischemic rat model. After modeling, any treatment was not given to the model group; for the acupoint sticking group, "Hua yutie" was applied at "Dazhui" (GV 14) ,"Qihai" (CV 6) and "Mingmen" (GV 4); for the acupuncture group, acupuncture was given at the same acupoints as those in the acupoint sticking group; the Nimodipine group received intragastric administration of Nimodipine. And the normal group did not receive any treatment. Their infarction volume, the cerebral water content, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the protein level were observed.

RESULTSThe infarction volume coincided with the dominative scope of the middle cerebral artery of the electric coagulation. There were significant differences in the cerebral water content as the various treatment groups compared with that of the model group (all P<0.05). The VEGF positive cell number and the protein level around the infarction area in the acupoint sticking group were increased as compared with those in the model group (P<0.01), with no significant difference as compared with the Nimodipine group and the acupuncture group (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupoint sticking of "Hua yutie" alleviates the cerebral damage after ischemia possibly through enhancing the expression and protein level of VEGF.

Acupuncture Points ; Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of compound decoction on notoginsenosides in Panax notoginseng.

METHODNotoginsenoside R1, Rg1, Re, Rb1 and pH were used as the parameters to investigate the changes on the content of notoginsenosides in different compound extractions by heating for two hours and their correlation with pH.

RESULTWhen the pH values of solution of P. notoginseng with Fructus ligustri, P. notoginseng with Eupolyphaga seu steleophaga, P. notoginseng with Pheretima asiatica, and Zhitangjiang Fang (free of Hirudo) were rept higher than 5.7, the reserved rate (RR) of notoginsenside were higher than 90%; When the pH values of decoetion of P. notoginseng with Salvia miltiorrhiza, P. notoginseng with Paeonia lactiflora, P. notoginseng with Platycodon grandiflorum, P. notoginseng with Arctium lappa were kept 4.5-5.5, their RR of notoginsenside were 60% - 85%; When the pH values of the decotction of P. notoginseng with Hirudo nipponica was decreased to 3.4, its RR of of notoginsenside was 38.4%; When the pH values of Zhitangjiang Fang extraction was regulated by 0.1% NaOH solution to pH 6. 3, and the RR of notoginsenside increased to 97%.

CONCLUSIONThe pH of other Chinese herbal medicines extraction with P. notoginseng compound is a critical effect on the stability and yields of notoginsensides.

Animals ; Arctium ; chemistry ; Cockroaches ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ginsenosides ; analysis ; Hirudo medicinalis ; chemistry ; Hot Temperature ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ligustrum ; chemistry ; Materia Medica ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Oligochaeta ; chemistry ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Panax ; chemistry ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo recognize changes in the contents of ingredients of Andrographis Tablet in the process of production.

METHODAdopting TLCS, TLC, HPLC to detect effective contents of ingredients which are produced in every stage of process of Andrographis Table's production.

RESULTHandling with the fresh Herba Andrographis according to current pharmacopeoia's technology, it showed that only dehyandrographolide can be detected. It indicated that the main factor that leads to chemical change is the heating process in the process of production.

CONCLUSIONAvoiding heating treatment or reducing heating treatment time is the main factor to protect the effective ingredients.

Andrographis ; chemistry ; Diterpenes ; analysis ; Drug Stability ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Hot Temperature ; Plant Components, Aerial ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Tablets ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

[Abstract] Objective To investigate the effects of the downregulation of draxin expression on the projection characteristics of 23C10-positive neural fibers in the chick embryonic hindbrain. Methods The vitro incubation of HH stages 21-22 chick embryonic hindbrain biopsy with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) protein was used as control group. The incubation of HH stages 21-22 chick embryonic hindbrain biopsy with draxin-ALP fusion protein was used as experimental group. The number of embryonic hindbrain for each group was 10. To detect whether 23C10-positive neural fibers could directly bind to draxin protein or not;In ovo electroporation using empty vector in the chick embryonic hindbrain was used as control group. In ovo electroporation with small interfering RNA(siRNA) expressing vector for reducing draxin expression in the chick embryonic hindbrain was used as experimental group. The number of embryonic hindbrain for each group was 18. The effect of the down-regulation of draxin expression and the change of projection characteristics of 23C10-positive neural fibers were observed to check whether the down-regulation of draxin expression would affect the distribution of 23C10-positive fibers. Results Most portion of draxin protein could overlap with 23C10-positive neural fibers in HH stages 21-22 chick embryonic hindbrain biopsies; After expression of the siRNA plasmid against draxin by electroporation, the expression level of draxin protein was significantly reduced, and the distribution of 23C10-positive fibers was scattered in the dorsal hindbrain on the electroporated side at HH stages 25-26 of chick embryos (P < 0. 05) . Conclusion Draxin protein may directly bind to 23C10-positive fibers in hindbrain, and it plays an important regulatory role in the fasciculation of 23C10-positive fibers during chick embryonic development.

Objective: To establish a method for identifying cardiac glycosides in Scurrula parasitica and its Nerium indicum host by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. With safflower parasitoids with sweet-scented osmanthus trees as the host and their host osmanthus tree samples used for control, the chemical constituents of the cardiac glycosides were identified by comparison between the cardiac glycoside reference substances and literatures, so as to analyze the correlation between the safflower parasitoid and its host oleander glycoside components,and evaluate the host' s impact on the quality of Taxilli Herba. Method: Samples of S. parasitica (parasitic on N. indicum and Osmanthus fragrans),N. indicum and O. fragrans were collected. Samples of S. parasitica and its O. fragrans host were taken for control. All of the samples were extracted through ultrasonic extraction with 70%ethanol. ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 C₁₈(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm) column was adopted with mobile phase A comprising 0.1%formic acid water and mobile phase B comprising acetonitrile for gradient elution. The sample size was 0.5 μL. The flow rate was 0.6 mL·min^-1. The column temperature was maintained at 40℃. MassLynx V4.1 software was used to analyze the data. Identification and correlation of chemical constitute of cardiac glycosides in S. parasitica and its N. indicum host were performed through analysis on cardiac glycosides reference substances,relevant literatures,elemental composition of compounds and positive and negative ion mode mass spectrometry data. Result: A total of 26 compounds of cardiac glycoside were identified,including 25 compounds of cardiac glycoside from N. indicum host,and 5 compounds of cardiac glycoside from S. parasitic(parasitic on N. indicum). none of cardiac glycosides were found in S. parasitica (parasitic on O. fragrans ) and its O. fragrans host. Conclusion: It was rapid,accurate and comprehensive to identify cardiac glycosides in S. parasitica (parasitic on N. indicum) and its N. indicum host by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. S. parasitica itself does not contain cardiac glycosides,its host may impact the quality of S. parasitica by delivering cardiac glycosides, a kind of its characteristic compound.

Humans ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Diseases

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. While acute itch serves as a protective system to warn the body of external irritating agents, chronic itch is a debilitating but poorly-treated clinical disease leading to repetitive scratching and skin lesions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic itch remain mysterious. Here, we identified a cell type-dependent role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in controlling chronic itch-related excessive scratching behaviors in mice. Moreover, we delineated a neural circuit originating from excitatory neurons of the ACC to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that was critically involved in chronic itch. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ACC→VTA circuit also selectively modulated histaminergic acute itch. Finally, the ACC neurons were shown to predominantly innervate the non-dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. Taken together, our findings uncover a cortex-midbrain circuit for chronic itch-evoked scratching behaviors and shed novel insights on therapeutic intervention.
Mice ; Animals ; Gyrus Cinguli/physiology* ; Pruritus/pathology* ; Mesencephalon ; Cerebral Cortex/pathology* ; Neurons/pathology*