Hongfa Li

Anti-fibrosis and anti-cirrhosis effects of Rhizoma paridis saponins on diethylnitrosamine induced rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis as a traditional Chinese medicine has been used in the treatment of liver disease for thousands of years. Rhizoma paridis saponins (RPS), as the main active components of Paris polyphylla, have been used to treat liver injury. Anti-cirrhosis effect of Rhizoma paridis saponins (RPS) has not been known. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced metabonomic changes in multiple biological matrices (plasma and urine) of rats by using (1)H-NMR spectroscopy together with clinical biochemistry assessments, oxidative stress test and DNA fragmentation assay. RESULTS Mechanisms of RPS that participated in the inhibition of the fibrotic process included anti-oxidant, anti-apoptosis, and metabolic disturbance such as decreasing lipid oxidation, regulation of TCA cycle, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolisms in DEN-induced liver tissues. CONCLUSIONS Integrated NMR analysis of serum and urine samples, together with traditional clinical biochemical assays provided a holistic method for elucidating mechanisms of potential anti-fibrotic agent, RPS.

Synergistic effects of Rhizoma Paridis and Rhizoma Curcuma longa on different animal tumor models.

Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) with a good antitumor effect in clinical use showed low bioavailability and toxicity. Combination of Rhizoma Curcuma longa with RPS, which called LouHuang preparation (LH), not only overcame the RPS limitations but also improved its anticancer effect. The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of LH in mice was 3410.9 mg/kg by oral acute toxicity test. LH relieved the inhibition of RPS on the gastric emptying (70.13 ± 4.80% vs. 49.12 ± 8.06%). As for the antitumor effect, the tumor weight/volume inhibition rate, tumor volume growth rate, and water/food efficiency ratio were calculated. LH had the highest inhibition ratio of 57.07 ± 2.97% for H22 model, 43.22 ± 0.72% for S180 model, and 46.8 ± 0.97% for EAC model, which were higher than RPS. Compared to ZiLongJin (ZLJ), a marked antitumor drug in China, LH also had the higher inhibition rate for tumor weight and tumor volume growth, which weaker than CTX. The water/food efficiency ratio reflected the difference of the quality life of the mice bearing tumor cells or not. CTX attenuated body weight gain and increased food efficiency ratio compared to control group. LH did not affect the body weight or water/food intake. The active part of LH was RPS and turmeric polysaccharides with the inhibition of 58% and 47% on H22 and S180 tumor models. The research provided theoretical and practical basis for LH application.

Analysis of bioactive components and pharmacokinetic study of herb-herb interactions in the traditional Chinese patent medicine Tongmai Yangxin Pill.

Tongmai Yangxin (TMYX) Pill is a traditional Chinese patent medicine, composed of eleven Chinese medicinal herbs. It has been used to treat coronary heart disease for several decades. In this study, six male Sprague-Dawley rats were dosed orally with TMYX methanol extract, and a serum pharmacochemistry technique was used to screen absorbed bioactive compounds by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS. By comparing MS spectra to the published literature data, 40 bioactive components were identified. The results indicated that almost 45% of the absorbed compounds were from Radix Glycyrrhizae (GC). Subsequently, a reliable HPLC method was used to determine the concentrations of liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhetinic acid in rat plasma following oral administration of GC or the combination of GC and Ramulus Cinnamomi (GZ). The results showed that GZ enhanced the absorption of four bioactive components: liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhetinic acid. The data demonstrate that herb combination in TMYX Pill exhibit a synergistic action.

Formation and evolution of precipitates in high Cr ferritic heat-resistant steels

Abstract For high Cr ferritic heat-resistant steels, dispersion hardening has played a vital role in improving creep strength at high temperatures. In this paper, the various types of precipitates in high Cr ferritic steels are reviewed, concerning M 3C, M 23C6, MX, M 2 X, Laves phase and Z phase. The evolution of these precipitates is a complicated process, since the dissolution of one type of precipitate may be overlapped with the precipitation of another type or other types. The composition of some precipitations varies towards the equilibrium composition under certain conditions, which is relevant to the solubility and diffusivity of the alloying element, while the composition of some other precipitates changes slightly. For the precipitates in high Cr ferritic steels, the preferred nucleation sites involve prior austenite grain boundaries, lath boundaries, dislocations and the interfaces between the precipitates and the matrix.

Combination treatment with Rhizoma Paridis and Rhizoma Curcuma longa extracts and 10-hydroxycamptothecin enhances the antitumor effect in H22 tumor model by increasing the plasma concentration

The combination of Western medicine and Chinese prescription is the most effective tumor therapy in China market. In our previous report, a new prescription composed by Rhizoma Paridis and Rhizoma Curcuma longa called LouHuang preparation (LH) shows good antitumor activity. 10-Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) as a chemotherapy agent is used for treatment of solid tumors in clinical. In this study, we investigated the combination effect of LH and HCPT on H22 tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In vitro test, combination of LH and HCPT presented a synergistic effect on H22 cancer cells. Because of the toxicity of HCPT in normal dosage with intraperitoneal injection, we chose a low dose in the study. LH increased the tumor inhibition rate of HCPT in H22 tumor model from 39% to 55% and showed additive effect by the q value method. The concentration of HCPT in plasma was detected by HPLC-FLD method and increased from 60 to 75ng/mL when combined with LH. For the absorption research, LH significantly enhanced the absorption transport of HCPT from 7019.04 to 11569.02ng/cm2, while improved the permeation flux (F) and apparent permeability (Papp) of HCPT from 10.62 to 21.47 (ng/cm2min) and 9.92-20.07 (10-6cm/s), respectively. The study indicates that LH could boost the efficacy of HCPT by increasing the plasma concentration regardless of the formulation and combined administration of HCPT and LH might be used as an adjuvant drug for treatment of liver cancer.

Antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects of Cerebralcare granule® on spontaneously hypertensive rats from the perspective of the gaseous triumvirate NO-CO-H2S system.

Cerebralcare granule(®) (CG) has been reported to have hypotensive effect. However, several pathways involved in the mechanism of hypotension are still unclear. This study was designed to verify the antihypertensive effect of CG and to characterize its mechanism of action, especially from the perspective of gasotrasmmiter NO/cGMP, CO/HO and H2S/CSE systems. By using the widely used in vitro model of rat isolated thoracic aortic rings, the vasorelaxant effect of CG were studied. Furthermore, we assessed the chronic hypotensive effect of CG on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and further to explore the potential mechanisms of its antihypertensive activity. Data in the present study demonstrated that oral treatment with CG could induce a potent antihypertensive effect. CG could reduce the intima-media thickness (IMT) of thoracic aorta significantly and increase the serum NO and H2S levels. In addition, the present results indicated that CG played a critical protective role against pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. CG not only inhibited the development of cardiac hypertrophy but also improved ventricular function. In vitro, the results showed that CG induced relaxation in rat aortic rings through an endothelium-dependent pathway mediated by NO/cGMP, CO/HO and H2S/CSE systems. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that CG could induce a potent antihypertensive effect that was partly due to the improvement of endothelial function. Also CG played a critical protective role against pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, CG could induce relaxation in rat aortic rings.

Antihypertensive and vasorelaxant effects of Rhizoma corydalis and its active component tetrahydropalmatine via NO/cGMP pathway and calcium channel blockade in isolated rat thoracic aorta

Rhizoma corydalis has been used for the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular diseases in China. Tetrahydropalmatine (THP), one of the main active ingredients isolated from Rhizoma corydalis, is reported to have potent analgesic effects and it has been used in Chinese clinical practice for many years. The main roles of the extract of Rhizoma corydalis and THP are their analgesic effect and protective effect towards the cardio-cerebral vascular system. Although there is a lot of research about the cardiovascular protective effects of Rhizoma corydalis and THP, their vasorelaxant effects on thoracic aorta have not been well studied. Therefore, the aim of the present study was designed to observe the acute antihypertensive effect of a 70% ethanol extract of Rhizoma corydalis (RC) and THP as well as investigating the possible mechanisms of vasodilatation induced by RC and THP on isolated rat aorta. The in vivo acute antihypertensive activity was measured on spontaneously hypertensive rats. Measurements (systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure) were recorded before and after RC and THP treatments at 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 h by a tail cuff method. Isolated rat thoracic aorta were used in vitro, including endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings. Specific inhibitors including L-NAME, ODQ, INDO, TEA, Gli and atropine were used, which were added 20 min before the NA contracted rat thoracic aorta, and then RC and THP were added to induce vasodilatation. The results demonstrated that RC and THP induced vasodilatation in an endothelium dependent and endothelium independent manner. The endothelium dependent pathway was the result of activation of the NO/cGMP signaling pathway. The endothelium independent pathways were involved in the blockade of VDCCs and inhibition of Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores, as well as the stimulation of the muscarinic receptor. In addition, the KATP channel was activated in the vasorelaxant mechanism of THP.

Evolution of intermetallics in a 26Cr–4Mo–2Ni (Ti + Nb) super ferritic stainless steel aged at 800°C

Abstract The precipitation of intermetallics in a 26Cr–4Mo–2Ni (Ti + Nb) super ferritic stainless steel during aging at 800°C was investigated. Optical, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes and X-ray diffractometer were used to characterize the microstructure. Results show that the χ phase formed in 5 min and almost disappeared within 24 h. The σ phase began to form at grain boundaries when aged for 30 min and its amount increased with prolonged aging. After 24 h, the σ phase covered the grain boundaries and grew into the grain interiors. The Laves phase was found to form within 30 min.