In vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract from Meconopsis quintuplinervia

Aims of the study

Meconopsis quintuplinervia, a medicinal herb endemic to the Tibetan region, is used to treat hepatitis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the ethanolic extract of this herb using different assays.

Materials and methods

The antioxidant capacity of Meconopsis quintuplinervia was investigated using various established in vitro systems. An in vivo study of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced antioxidant activity in mice was also conducted by examining the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH).

Results

The extract showed strong in vitro antioxidant ability. In the in vivo study, CCl₄-induced oxidative stress caused significant decreases in the SOD, CAT, and GSH levels and a significant increase in the MDA level, most of which were significantly reversed (except for SOD in the liver.) by treatment with the extract and standard Vitamin E.

Conclusion

This study clearly indicates that the ethanolic extract of Meconopsis quintuplinervia is a valuable source of natural antioxidants. These findings provide scientific support for the traditional use of this herb as a Tibetan medicine for liver diseases.     

多烯紫杉醇主动靶向脂质体对S180肉瘤细胞小鼠移植瘤生长的影响

目的:研究叶酸受体多烯紫杉醇主动靶向脂质体(FA-PDCT-L)对S180肉瘤细胞小鼠移植瘤的抑制作用及体内毒性。方法:利用自制两亲性嵌段共聚物叶酸-聚乙二醇-聚胆固醇氰基丙烯酸脂(FA-PEG-PCHL)修饰FA-PDCT-L,采用激光共聚焦显微镜检测脂质体与MCF-7细胞的结合机制;建立S180肉瘤细胞小鼠皮下移植瘤动物模型,随机分为DCT注射液(DCT-I)、未修饰DCT脂质体(DCT-L)和FA-PDCT-L和模型组(生理盐水),按10 mg·kg-1·d-1尾静脉注射给药,观察小鼠移植瘤生长变化并计算抑瘤率;采用TUNEL法测定细胞凋亡;观察各组动物肝功能及骨髓抑制血液生化指标。结果:FA-PDCTL与MCF-7细胞的结合量明显高于其他试验组。与模型相比,DCT-I,DCT-L和FA-PDCT-L组小鼠瘤体积均减少,其中FAPDCT-L的作用最为显著,抑瘤率79.03%,凋亡指数(45.7±3.4)%。FA-PDCT-L组动物的肝功能及骨髓抑制生化指标均与空白组无显著差异。结论:FA-PDCT-L通过FA-PEG-PCHL介导的细胞内化使脂质体进入细胞,显示出了比市售DCT-I更好的抗肿瘤疗效和更低的毒性。     

海参猴桃液辅以少量rIL-2对免疫杀伤细胞活性的正向调节研究

目的 :探讨用中药海参猴桃液 (SSAP)辅以基因重组人白细胞介素 2 (rIL -2 )体外培养扩增、激活免疫杀伤细胞LAK的机理 ,观察SSAP辅以少量rIL -2能否提高及在多大程度上提高LAK细胞的杀瘤活性。方法 :通过提取健康供血者的外周血单个核细胞作为待培养细胞 ,设空白对照组 (加等量生理盐水 )、阳性对照组 (1 0 0 0U/mlrIL -2 1ml)、实验 1组 (1 0 0 0U/mlrIL -2 0 .5ml +30 0 0 μg/mlSSAP 1ml)、实验 2组 (1 0 0 0U/mlrIL -20 .1ml+30 0 0 μg/mlSSAP 1ml) ,4组在不同条件下培养LAK细胞 ,分别用H -TdR释放法检定其体外对人肝癌BEF -740 4杀伤活性。结果 :30 0 0 μg/ml的SSAP +1 0 0 0U/mlrIL -20 .1ml在培养第 3天便能测出杀伤活性 ,第 9天达峰值 [杀瘤率 (75 .5± 1 3.6 ) % ],杀瘤活性与 1 0倍量rIL -2单独诱导激活的LAK细胞杀瘤活性相近 [杀瘤率 (92 .9± 2 1 .3) % ],两组比较无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,而且杀瘤活性持续 1 8天。结论 :SSAP辅以少量的rIL -2能大量扩增激活LAK细胞 ,增强其对肿瘤细胞的杀伤力 ,更重要的意义在于获得的LAK细胞杀伤力强大而持久 ,同时可减少rIL -2的用量     

南美蟛蜞菊花挥发油GC-MS分析及抗菌活性研究

目的：分析新鲜南美蟛蜞菊花挥发油中的化学成分,进行抑菌活性测试。方法：采用水蒸气蒸馏法提取南美蟛蜞菊花挥发油,运用气相色谱-质谱联用技术（GC-MS）对其成分进行分析;微量稀释法测试所得挥发油对6种菌株（大肠菌、蜡状芽孢杆菌、枯草芽孢杆菌、四联球菌、藤黄八叠球菌、白色葡萄球菌）的抑菌活性。结果：南美蟛蜞菊花挥发油提取收率为0.72‰,检测到61个化合物,鉴定出57个,含量占总挥发油的92.92%;该挥发油对枯草芽孢杆菌、藤黄八叠球菌具有良好的抑制活性,最小抑菌浓度分别为0.39,0.78 mg·L^-1。结论：从南美蟛蜞菊花中提取挥发油并鉴定化学成分,发现其富含结构多样的倍半萜类化合物,为南美蟛蜞菊的开发利用提供实验依据。     

A standing posture support device that reduces laparoscopic surgeons’ occupational lower limb stress

Background: We developed a surgical knee rest (SKR) that can be used to decrease the stress placed on the lower half of the body when surgeons work in the standing position. We tested the effectiveness of this device in the context of laparoscopic surgery.

Material and methods: Five healthy, right-handed male surgeons participated, and we recorded surface electromyography (sEMG) signals from the two heads of the left and right gastrocnemius (Gc) muscles during laparoscopic resections of colorectal cancer. The outcome variable was the percentage of maximum Gc muscle effort generated, reported as percent maximal isometric voluntary contraction (%MVC), and this variable was compared between surgeries performed with and without use of the SKR. Assessment covered the first 100?min of surgery, subdivided into two 50-min periods.

Results: Mean %MVC of the left Gc muscle for the full 100-min test period was significantly decreased when the SKR was used (p?=?.027, vs. SKR not used). Notably, mean %MVC of both Gc muscles was significantly decreased during the first 50?min of surgery (p?=?.008 and p?=?.0046).

Conclusion: The SKR is useful for decreasing physical stress incurred by laparoscopic surgeons when working in the standing position.     

Feasibility of yoga as a complementary therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes: The Healthy Active and in Control (HA1C) study

ObjectivesThis study:Healthy Active and in Control (HA1C), examined the feasibility and acceptability of yoga as a complementary therapy for adults with Type-2 Diabetes (T2DM).DesignA 2-arm randomized clinical trial comparing Iyengar yoga with a supervised walking program.SettingHospital based gym-type facility and conference rooms.InterventionsParticipants were randomized to a 12-week program of either; (1) a twice weekly Iyengar yoga, or (2) a twice-weekly program of standard exercise (SE).Main Outcome MeasuresPrimary outcomes assessed feasibility and acceptability, including enrollment rates, attendance, study completion, and participant satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included HbA1c, physical activity, and measures of diabetes-related emotional distress, self-care and quality of life (QOL). Assessments were conducted at baseline, end of treatment, 6-months and 9-months post-enrollment.ResultsOf 175 adults screened for eligibility, 48 (30 women, 18 men) were eligible and enrolled. The most common reasons for ineligibility were orthopedic restrictions, HbA1c levels <6.5 and BMI > 42. Session attendance was high (82% of sessions attended), as was follow-up completion rates (92%). Program satisfaction rated on a 5-point scale, was high among both Yoga (M = 4.63, SD = 0.57) and SE (M = 4.77, SD = 0.52) participants. Overall 44 adverse events (26 Yoga, 18 SE) were reported. Of these, six were deemed “possibly related” (e.g., neck strain, back pain), and 1 “probably related” (ankle pain after treadmill) to the study. Yoga produced significant reductions in HbA1c. Median HbA1c at 6 months was 1.25 units lower for Yoga compared to SE (95% CI: -2.54 -0.04).Greater improvements in diabetes self-care, quality of life, and emotional distress were seen among Yoga participants than among SE participants. Increases in mindfulness were seen in Yoga but not in SE.ConclusionsThe yoga intervention was highly feasible and acceptable, and produced improvements in blood glucose and psychosocial measures of diabetes management.     

活动期类风湿关节炎蛋白质代谢变化及相关性分析

目的：观察类风湿关节炎（RA）患者蛋白质的变化及其相关性分析。方法：测定40例RA患者和20例正常对照组的PA、ALB、A/G、Apo-A1、Apo-B、HDL、LDL、Treg表达水平等,比较蛋白质各指标与Treg表达水平两者之间是否存在差异;分析蛋白质变化与生活质量、临床症状、活动性指标、焦虑自评量表（SAS）、抑郁自评量表（SDS）标准分、类风湿性关节炎活动度评分表（DAS-28）及调节T细胞等的相关性。结果：①活动期RA患者的PA、A/G、Treg水平较正常对照显著下降（P〈0.01）,40例RA患者PA下降的有37人,占92.5%;A/G下降的有21人,占47.5%。②TP、ALB与生理功能呈明显负相关（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;PA、ALB、A/G、HDL与DAS-28呈明显负相关（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;TP与心理功能、生活质量总计分呈明显负相关（P〈0.05）;GLO与DAS-28呈明显正相关（P〈0.05）;蛋白质指标与Treg水平无特殊相关性。③TP、ALB与步行时间呈明显负相关（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;④PA、ALB、TP、Apo-B与RBC、HB、Fe呈明显正相关（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;PA、ALB、A/G、HDL、Apo-A1与a1-AGP、CRP、ESR呈明显负相关（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;GLO与IgG、C3、ESR呈明显正相关（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;LDL与C4呈明显正相关（P〈0.01）;Apo-A1/B与PLT、IgM呈明显负相关（P〈0.05）。结论：RA患者中存在蛋白质代谢的异常,具体表现为PA、A/G等指标水平明显下降,其变化与RA炎症活动有关,但与CD4^＋CD25^＋CD127^-Treg表达水平关系有待进一步研究。     

The antiprotozoal activity of methylated flavonoids from Ageratum conyzoides L.

Aim of the study

The dichloromethane extract prepared from aerial parts of Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asteraceae), a plant commonly used in folk medicine for a number of illnesses including sleeping sickness, was recently found to exhibit a prominent activity (IC₅₀ = 0.78 μg/mL) against bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the etiologic agent of East African Human Trypanosomiasis (East African Sleeping Sickness). This extract also exhibited noticeable activities against Leishmania donovani (Kala-Azar, IC₅₀ = 3.4 μg/mL) as well as Plasmodium falciparum (Malaria tropica, IC₅₀ = 8.0 μg/mL). In the current study, we sought for potentially active constituents of Ageratum conyzoides.

Materials and methods

Extracts prepared with solvents of different polarity were tested for activity against the above mentioned parasites as well as against Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas’ disease) and for cytotoxicity using established protocols. The dicholoromethane extract showed the highest level of activity and was chosen for phytochemical studies aimed at the isolation of potential active constituents.

Results and conclusion

Five highly methoxylated flavonoids along with the chromene derivative encecalol methyl ether were isolated. All isolated compounds were previously reported from Ageratum conyzoides. While the chromene turned out to be inactive against the tested parasites, the flavonoids showed activity against the protozoan pathogens, some in the lower micromolar range. However, none of these isolated compounds was as active as the crude extract. This is the first report on antiprotozoal activity of this plant species and some of its constituents. The chemical principle accounting for the high activity of the crude extract, however, remains to be identified.