Yong-Shen Ren

Action of palmatine on Tetrahymena thermophila BF5 growth investigated by microcalorimetry.

Using a thermal activity monitor (TAM) air isothermal microcalorimeter with ampoule mode, the thermo-genic curves of the metabolism of Tetrahymena thermophila BF(5) growth at 28 degrees C were obtained and the action of palmatine on it was investigated. Meanwhile, the biomass change during the process of T. thermophila BF(5) growth coexisted with palmatine was studied by a haemacytometer. The results showed that a low concentration (50 microg/mL) of palmatine began to inhibit the growth of T. thermophila BF(5), and when the concentration of palmatine reached 600 microg/mL, T. thermophila BF(5) could not grow at all. The relationship between the growth rate constant (k) and the concentration c was almost linear with the correlation coefficient of 0.9957, showing the strong toxic action of palmatine on T. thermophila BF(5) growth. The biomass during T. thermophila BF(5) growth decreased obviously by the addition of palmatine at different concentrations. The investigation of biomass agreed well with the results obtained by means of microcalorimetry.

A strategy for the detection of quality fluctuation of a Chinese herbal injection based on chemical fingerprinting combined with biological fingerprinting

Herbal injections are powerful preparations of traditional Chinese medicines. However, the quality control (QC) of these formulations is difficult to establish. Recently, chemical fingerprinting (CF) has been recommended as a potential strategy for the QC of herbal injections. However, some constituents cannot be detected by chromatographic methods. To establish a comprehensive QC process, biological fingerprinting (BF) was combined with CF to detect the fluctuation in quality of a herbal injection from chemical and biological aspects. Yinzhihuang injection was selected as a representative herbal injection. Ten batches of normal samples and six batches of artificially abnormal samples were collected. High-performance liquid chromatography and thermal activity monitoring were applied to develop CF and BF, respectively. The CF and BF of normal samples were similar, with good stability and consistency, but the abnormal samples were not. The results were analyzed by hierarchical clustering analysis: all abnormal samples could be correctly distinguished when CF and BF were combined. The recognition ratio was higher for CF (87.5%) than for BF (93.75%). The key factors of quality fluctuation were bacterial contamination, high temperature, lighting, and sterilizing conditions. The described method could be used for early prediction of adverse drug events, which could help improve the safety of herbal injections.

Study on the cold and hot properties of medicinal herbs by thermotropism in mice behavior

It is a common sense that chewing a mint leaf causes a cold feeling, while masticating a piece of ginger root is associated with a hot sensation. The Traditional Chinese Medicine has termed this phenomenon as cold and hot properties of herbs and applied them in treating certain human diseases successfully for thousands of years. Here, we have developed an Animal Thermotropism Behavior Surveillance System, and by using this device and other approaches, we not only verified the existence of, but also characterized and quantitated the cold and hot properties of medicinal herbs in animal behavioral experiments. The results suggested that the hot and cold properties of herbal drugs indeed correlated with the alteration of animal behavior in search for residence temperature.

Applications of microcalorimetry in the antibacterial activity evaluation of various Rhizoma coptidis

Context: Various Rhizoma coptidis are commonly used in clinical applications due to their strong antibacterial effect. Objective: The antibacterial effect of various R. coptidis were evaluated by microcalorimetry together with statistical analysis. Materials and methods: The dried roots of Coptis chinensis Franch, Coptis deltoidea C.Y. Cheng et Hsiao, and Coptis teeta Wall (Ranunculaceae) were identified by Prof. Xiao-He Xiao. The herbs were tested using thermal activity monitor (TAM) air isothermal microcalorimeter, ampoule mode, to evaluate the biological activity. The dynamic energy metabolism information about the Staphylococcus aureus growth at 37°C was analyzed with principal component analysis. Results: From the principle component analysis on quantitative parameters, the action of various R. coptidis on S. aureus growth at 37°C could be easily evaluated by analyzing the change of values of the two main parameters: the growth rate constant of first stage (k1) and the maximum heat rating of the first stage (P1). And the results of paired t-test show that there were no notable differences between inhibitory ratios calculated with k1 and that of P1. Using microdilution method, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of C. chinensis, C. deltoidea, and C. teeta were detected, and they were 77.8 ± 2, 116.6 ± 4, 93.3 ± 2 μg/mL, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: This work provided a useful method for the evaluation of antibacterial activity of various R. coptidis.

Investigation of the differences between the “COLD” and “HOT” nature of Coptis chinensis Franch and its processed materials based on animal’s temperature tropism

The description and differentiation of the so-called “Cold” and “Hot” natures, the primary “Drug Naure” of Chinese medicine, is the focus of theoretical research. In this study, the divergency between the “Cold” and the “Hot” natures was investigated through examining the temperature tropism of mice affected by Coptis chinensis Franch and its processed materials by using a cold/hot plate differentiating technology. After exposure to C. chinensis Franch, the macroscopic behavioral index of the remaining rate (RR) on a warm pad (40 °C) significantly increased (P<0.05), suggesting the enhancement of Hot tropism. The internal indexes of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity and oxygen consuming volume decreased significantly (P<0.05), suggesting the decapability of energy metabolism. This external behavior of Hot tropism might reflect the internal Cold nature of C. chinensis Franch. However, the processed materials of C. chinensis Franch exhibited a different Cold nature in temperature tropism compared with crude C. chinensis Franch (CC): the Cold nature of bile-processed C. chinensis Franch (BC) enhanced while the ginger-processed C. chinensis Franch (GC) changed inversely. The changing sequence was consistent with the theoretical prognostication. It is indicated that the external Cold & Hot natures of Chinese medicine may possibly reflect in an ethological way for the changes of animal’s temperature tropism which might be internally regulated by the body’s energy metabolism.

Expression of the difference between the Cold (Han) and Hot (Re) natures of traditional Chinese medicines (Strobal and Rhubarb) based on the cold/hot plate differentiating assay.

In this study, objective differences between the Cold (Han) and Hot (Re) nature of traditional Chinese medicines, e.g. Strobal and Rhubarb, are determined by using a cold/hot plate differentiation technology. A novel, self-designed cold/hot plate differentiating instrument, with methodological study, was used to investigate the intervention of Strobal and Rhubarb on the temperature tropism of mice. Compared with the ICR and BALB/c mice, it was found that KM mice on the cold/hot plate were more sensitive to the change of temperature, within the tolerant temperature range of 15–40 °C The temperature tropism behavior of mice is influenced by treatment with Rhubarb and Strobal, as is the activity of ATPase in liver tissue. These trends are consistent with the definition of the Cold/Hot nature of Chinese medicines based on traditional Chinese medicinal theory. This study showed that the differences of the Cold/Hot nature of traditional Chinese medicines. might be objectively represented by the temperature tropism of animal by means of cold/hot differentiating assay.