Metabolomic strategy to study therapeutic and synergistic effects of tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rb1 in myocardial ischemia rats

Aim of the study

Tanshinone IIA (T), salvianolic acid B (S) and ginsenoside Rb1 (G) are the three major active ingredients of Compound Danshen Formula (CDF) for its protective effects on myocardial ischemia (MI). In this study, we aimed to investigate therapeutic and synergistic effects of TSG (combination of T, S and G) on MI rats with metabolomic strategy.

Materials and methods

MI model were induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. MI rats were respectively administrated T, S, G, TSG and CDF. Plasma was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) models were built to evaluate the therapeutic and synergistic effects of TSG at whole level. 22 MI biomarkers in rat plasma were also investigated to explain that.

Results

TSG brings nearly equal therapeutic effects on MI as CDF and it plays more stable regulated action on those 22 identified metabolites than single compound.

Conclusions

Overall, there were few methods for the study of synergistic effects of Chinese medicine. Our results suggested that metabolomics offers a new idea for Chinese medicine research.     

Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) root fractions: differential effects on postprandial glycemia in healthy individuals

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Variations in ginsenoside profile may predict the postprandial glucose (PPG)-lowering efficacy of ginseng. Previously we reported differential PPG-lowering effects with two Korean red ginseng (KRG) root.

Fractions

body and rootlets, of variable ginsenoside profiles. Whether this effect is reproducible with a different KRG source is unclear. We therefore tested two root fractions from a KRG source with elevated ginsenoside levels to assess its effect on PPG.

Materials and Methods

After a 12-h overnight fast, 13 healthy individuals (6M:7F; age = 28 ± 10 y; BMI = 24.1 ± 3 kg/m2; FBG = 4.77 ± 0.04 mmol/L) randomly received either 3 g of KRG-body, rootlets or placebo, on three separate visits. Treatments were consumed 60 min prior to a standard test meal with capillary blood samples at −60, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min.

Results

The KRGrootlets had > 6 fold total ginsensosides than the KRG-body but did not significantly affect PPG. Despite a reduced ginsenoside profile, KRG-body lowered PPG levels at 45, 60, 90 and 120 min during the test (p < 0.05), rendering an overall reduction of 27% in incremental area under the glucose curve compared to the control (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Comparing the results with a previously studied batch of KRG suggests a potential therapeutic dose range for ginsenosides. This observation should be clinically verified with acute screening and ginsenoside composition analysis.     

Amplified immune response by ginsenoside-based nanoparticles (ginsomes)

We describe here a novel adjuvant of ginsenoside-based nanoparticles (ginsomes) and its activity for up-regulation of immune response in mice. Ginsomes were assembled during removal of the detergent by dialysis in presence of ginseng saponins extracted from the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, cholesterol and phosphatidyl choline. The nanoparticles were spherical with diameters ranging from 70 to 107 nm, and contained ginsenosides Rb2, Rc, Rb1 and Rd. When co-administered with a model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) in ICR mice, ginsomes at a dose range from 10 to 250 μg promoted significantly higher IgG responses than OVA alone. Co-administration of ginsomes with OVA also significantly increased the levels of specific IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3, as well as T and B lymphocyte proliferation in response to Con A, LPS and OVA than when OVA was used alone. The enhanced IgG titer and subclass levels paralleled the increased production of IFN-γ (Th1 cytokine) and IL-5 (Th2 cytokine). Therefore, ginsomes as an adjuvant have up-regulated both Th1 and Th2 immune responses.     

高效液相色谱法测定调经养颜片中人参皂苷Rg_1的含量

目的:研究调经养颜片(黄芪、女贞子等)中人参皂苷Rg1的含量测定方法。方法:采用高效液相色谱法测定人参皂苷Rg1的含量。结果:人参皂苷Rg1的平均加样回收率为97.89%,RSD为1.1(n=6),在0.4μg~10μg范围内,有良好线性关系(r=0.9991)。结论:该方法简便、灵敏、重复性好,可作为调经养颜片中人参皂苷Rg1的含量测定方法。     

人参皂苷Rg1对缺血性脑卒中大鼠脑组织Fas和Caspase-3蛋白表达的影响

目的:探讨人参皂苷Rg1对缺血性脑卒中大鼠脑组织膜蛋白(Fas)、胱天蛋白酶(Caspase-3)表达的影响及其意义。方法:将大鼠随机分为假手术组、缺血性脑卒中组、人参皂苷Rg110、20、40mg/kg组、尼莫地平1mg/kg药物对照组,采用大脑中动脉闭塞法建立缺血性脑卒中模型;应用免疫组化法检测脑组织Fas、Caspase-3的表达。结果:人参皂苷Rg1各剂量组及尼莫地平组大鼠脑组织Fas、Caspase-3表达阳性细胞数明显低于缺血性脑卒中组(P<0.05)。结论:人参皂苷Rg1防治大鼠缺血性脑卒中损伤的机制可能与抑制脑组织Fas、Caspase-3表达有关,且以高剂量效果较好。     

痫宁片的质量标准研究

采用TLC法对痫宁片中黄芪、三七、白芍及柴胡进行了定性鉴别;并采用薄层扫描法测定黄芪甲甙及人参皂甙Rg1的含量,其平均回收率分别为97.55%、97.30%;RSD分别为3.22%、2.96%.     

急性低氧条件下复氧后大鼠脑HIF-1α、nNOS蛋白的表达与人参皂甙Rd干预

目的观察大鼠脑缺氧状态下缺氧诱导因子1α(HIF-1α)、神经元性一氧化氮合酶(nNOS)蛋白的表达规律及低氧状态下人参皂甙Rd(Rd)干预对其影响并探讨机理。方法将成年Wistar大鼠120只随机分为3组:①急性低氧组(对照组);②低氧预处理组(低氧干预组);③人参皂甙Rd预处理组(药物干预组)。每组按照缺氧后不同时间点再分为4个亚组,各亚组10只大鼠,分别观察各组大鼠海马锥体细胞层神经元形态的变化及HIF-1α、nNOS蛋白的表达规律。结果在缺氧后复氧即刻,我们可以发现HIF-1α、nNOS蛋白的少量表达,主要存在于海马细胞,多在细胞质中表达;随着时间的推移,在复氧后4 h,HIF-1α、nNOS表达渐达高峰,至复氧后9h HIF-1α表达明显减少,而nNOS表达至复氧后24 h明显减少。低氧预处理组及人参皂甙Rd预处理组的实验结果发现HIF-1α、nNOS表达较对照组减少,与急性低氧组各时间点相比,均有统计学意义(P=0.009)。两个干预组之间各时间点比较无统计学差异(P>0.05)。结论急性低氧可以促使HIF-1α、nNOS蛋白在大鼠海马神经细胞的表达,具有时间依赖性;同时低氧预处理及人参皂甙Rd预处理均可促使大鼠脑组织HIF-1α、nNOS表达减少,可能对急性缺氧性脑损伤产生保护作用,其具体机理可能与其抗自由基、抑制Ca2+内流有关     

人参皂苷Rb3对中国仓鼠肺细胞染色体畸变作用

目的研究人参皂苷Rb3对中国仓鼠肺细胞(CHL)染色体畸变作用。方法测定人参皂苷Rb3对CHL细胞的半数抑制浓度(IC50),根据IC50设立不同剂量组,进行染色体畸变试验,分别观察人参皂苷Rb3接触CHL细胞6 h、24 h及加S9后6 h染色体的畸变情况,根据标准进行结果判定。结果染毒6 h、24 h及加S9后染毒6 h染色体畸变为阴性。结论人参皂苷Rb3不能引起CHL细胞染色体产生畸变作用。     

人参皂苷Rg1诱导骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经样细胞的作用

目的研究人参皂苷Rg1在体外能否诱导Wistar大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经元样细胞。方法通过贴壁法分离大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞,体外培养扩增,人参皂苷Rg1诱导分化,光镜下观察细胞形态,免疫细胞化学检测神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）和神经胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）的表达,RT-PCR检测细胞NGF mRNA的表达。结果大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞可通过贴壁法成功分离并可以在体外大量扩增。人参皂苷Rg1诱导72h后,部分骨髓间充质干细胞（35．57％±3．59％）转变为神经元样细胞,免疫细胞化学染色NSE呈阳性,分化的神经元样细胞可能表达NGF mRNA。结论人参皂苷Rg1可以在体外诱导大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经元样细胞,并且可能表达NGF mRNA。     

参麦注射液含量测定方法的改进

目的：建立高效液相色谱法测定参麦注射液中人参皂苷Re含量的方法。方法：色谱柱：KromasilC18（250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm）,流动相：乙腈-0.05%磷酸（15：85）,检测波长：203 nm,流速为1 mL/min。结果：人参皂苷Re的回归方程为：Y=91273.9x＋313 618г=0.999 8,（n=6）。线性范围为：52.46-314.76 mg/L,平均回收率为99.54%,RSD为0.38%（n=5）。结论：该方法具有简便、快速、准确,重现性好,与标准法比较无显著性差别,适合于参麦注射液含量的测定。