OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effects of Tibetan medicine Zuo-Mu-A Decoction (, ZMAD) on the blood parameters and myocardium of high altitude polycythemia (HAPC) model rats.METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups by a random number table, including the normal, model, Rhodiola rosea L. (RRL) and ZMAD groups (10 in each group). Every group was raised in Lhasa to create a HAPC model except the normal group. After modeling, rats in the RRL and the ZMAD groups were administered intragastrically with RRL (20 mL/kg) and ZMAD (7.5 mL/kg) once a day for 2 months, respectively; for the normal and the model groups, 5 mL of distilled water was administered intragastrically instead of decoction. Then routine blood and hematologic rheology parameters were taken, levels of erythropoietin and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were tested, and ultrastructural change in the left ventricular myocardium was observed using transmission electron microscopy.
RESULTS: Compared with the model group, ZMAD significantly reduced the red blood cell count, hemoglobin levels, whole blood viscosity at low/middle shear rates, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte electrophoretic time, erythropoietin and 8-OHdG levels, and also increased the erythrocyte deformation index (P<0.05). There was no difference in all results between the RRL and the ZMAD groups. The cardiac muscle fibers were well-protected, mitochondrial matrix swelled mildly and ultrastructure changes were less prominent in the ZMAD group compared with the model group.
CONCLUSION: ZMAD has significant protective effects on the blood parameters against HAPC, and also has the beneficial effect in protecting against myocardial injury.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effects of Tibetan medicine Zuo-Mu-A Decoction (, ZMAD) on the blood parameters and myocardium of high altitude polycythemia (HAPC) model rats. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups by a random number table, including the normal, model, Rhodiola rosea L. (RRL) and ZMAD groups (10 in each group). Every group was raised in Lhasa to create a HAPC model except the normal group. After modeling, rats in the RRL and the ZMAD groups were administered intragastrically with RRL (20 mL/kg) and ZMAD (7.5 mL/kg) once a day for 2 months, respectively; for the normal and the model groups, 5 mL of distilled water was administered intragastrically instead of decoction. Then routine blood and hematologic rheology parameters were taken, levels of erythropoietin and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were tested, and ultrastructural change in the left ventricular myocardium was observed using transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, ZMAD significantly reduced the red blood cell count, hemoglobin levels, whole blood viscosity at low/middle shear rates, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte electrophoretic time, erythropoietin and 8-OHdG levels, and also increased the erythrocyte deformation index (P<0.05). There was no difference in all results between the RRL and the ZMAD groups. The cardiac muscle fibers were well-protected, mitochondrial matrix swelled mildly and ultrastructure changes were less prominent in the ZMAD group compared with the model group. CONCLUSION: ZMAD has significant protective effects on the blood parameters against HAPC, and also has the beneficial effect in protecting against myocardial injury.
To explore the protective effects of Tibetan medicine Zuo-Mu-A Decoction (佐木阿汤, ZMAD) on the blood parameters and myocardium of high altitude polycythemia (HAPC) model rats.<br>Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups by a random number table, including the normal, model, <i>Rhodiola rosea</i> L. (RRL) and ZMAD groups (10 in each group). Every group was raised in Lhasa to create a HAPC model except the normal group. After modeling, rats in the RRL and the ZMAD groups were administered intragastrically with RRL (20 mL/kg) and ZMAD (7.5 mL/kg) once a day for 2 months, respectively; for the normal and the model groups, 5 mL of distilled water was administered intragastrically instead of decoction. Then routine blood and hematologic rheology parameters were taken, levels of erythropoietin and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were tested, and ultrastructural change in the left ventricular myocardium was observed using transmission electron microscopy.<br>Compared with the model group, ZMAD significantly reduced the red blood cell count, hemoglobin levels, whole blood viscosity at low/middle shear rates, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte electrophoretic time, erythropoietin and 8-OHdG levels, and also increased the erythrocyte deformation index (<i>P</i><0.05). There was no difference in all results between the RRL and the ZMAD groups. The cardiac muscle fibers were well-protected, mitochondrial matrix swelled mildly and ultrastructure changes were less prominent in the ZMAD group compared with the model group.<br>ZMAD has significant protective effects on the blood parameters against HAPC, and also has the beneficial effect in protecting against myocardial injury.
BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic and progressive disease that represents an important public health challenge nowadays. Despite the growing number of studies assessing the rehabilitation outcome of Wuqinxi for COPD, their many variables and observations are often explored with a relatively small sample size, accordingly maybe lead to potential false-positive results. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the rehabilitation efficacy of Wuqinxi for COPD.METHODS: A detailed search for articles up to June 2019 will be performed to identify randomized controlled trials for Wuqinxi in COPD. The following database will be used: PUBMED, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Sino Med, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Database, and Wanfang Database. Grey literature will be explored and the selection of studies, data extraction and validation will performed independently by 2 reviewers using predefined selection criteria and quality indicators. Stata V.13.0 and Review manager 5.3 software will be used for data synthesis, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and risk of bias assessment. We will use the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation system to assess the quality of evidence.
RESULTS: This research will update previous evidence summaries and provide a quantitative and standardized assessment of the rehabilitation efficacy of Wuqinxi for COPD.
CONCLUSION: This systematic review will generate the latest evidence for determining whether Wuqinxi has a positive rehabilitation effect for COPD.PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO CRD 42019120960.
MCM-48 mesoporous silica was functionalized with dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride, a quaternary ammonium salt with a long hydrophobic chain, to prepare a new sorbent for the dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) of seven endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) including 4-hexylphenol, 4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol in water. A series of differently functionalized MCM-48 materials were also synthesized, and they served as reference materials to study the mechanism. The developed DSPE method was combined with HPLC with fluorescence detection to evaluate the adsorption performance. The results indicated that the quaternary ammonium-functionalized MCM-48 mesoporous silica can be used as ideal sorbent for EDCs in water with recoveries of higher than 95% due to the electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic effect. Hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions in other synthesized materials could lead to about 25-30% increase in recoveries, but the results for polyhydroxy compounds were still not satisfying. The quaternary ammonium-functionalized MCM-48 mesoporous silica was successfully applied to the DSPE of EDCs in real water samples. The optimum extraction conditions were sorbent amount, 15 mg; desorption time; 5 min; elution volume, 0.8 mL; sample pH 3.0; and salt addition, 5 g/L. The limits of detection were in the range of 1.2-2.6 ng/L, while the limits of quantitation were in the range of 4.3-8.3 ng/L.
This randomised controlled pilot trial tested a six-week mindfulness-based intervention in a sample of pregnant women experiencing high levels of perceived stress and pregnancy anxiety. Forty-seven women enrolled between 10 and 25 weeks gestation were randomly assigned to either a series of weekly Mindful Awareness Practices classes (n = 24) with home practice or to a reading control condition (n = 23). Hierarchical linear models of between-group differences in change over time demonstrated that participants in the mindfulness intervention experienced larger decreases from pre-to post-intervention in pregnancy-specific anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) than participants in the reading control condition. However, these effects were not sustained through follow-up at six weeks post-intervention. Participants in both groups experienced increased mindfulness, as well as decreased perceived stress and state anxiety over the course of the intervention and follow-up periods. This study is one of the first randomised controlled pilot trials of a mindfulness meditation intervention during pregnancy and provides some evidence that mindfulness training during pregnancy may effectively reduce PRA and worry. We discuss some of the dilemmas in pursuing this translational strategy and offer suggestions for researchers interested in conducting mind-body interventions during pregnancy.
In this paper, the resources of Codonopsis convolvulacea subsp. Vinciflora in 13 counties of Tibet were investigated and analyzed by field investigation, sample point-sample set-sample survey, market investigation and expert visit. The results showed that among the 13 counties, the distribution area of C. convolvulacea ranked as Gongbujiangda County > Zuogong County > Milin County > Mozhugongka County > Lang County > Duilongdeqing County > Chayu County=Jiali County=Mangkang County=Dingqing County=Baqing County=Suo County=Nimu County. The Gongbujiangda County showed the largest distribution, while Zuogong County and Milin County showed relatively small distribution. Chayu County, Jiali County,Mangkang County, Dingqing County, Baqing County, Suo County and Nimu County showed no distribution. The average plant dry weight C. convolvulacea ranked as Duilongdeqing County > Lang County, Gongbujiangda County > Milin County > Chayu County=Jiali County =Zuogong County=Mangkang County=Dingqing County=Baqing County=Suo County =Mozhugongka County=Nimu County. Among them, Duilongdeqing County showed the largest average plant dry weight. The average plant dry weight of C. convolvulacea in Chayu County, Jiali County, Zuogong County,Mangkang County, Dingqing County, Baqing County, Suo County, Mozhugongka County and Nimu County was all 0 g. The order of biomass of C. convolvulacea in the 13 counties was Mozhugongka County > Duilongdeqing County > Lang County > Gongbujiangda County > Milin County > Zuogong County > Dingqing County=Jiali County=Mangkang County=Chayu County=Nimu County=Suo County=Baqing County.Mozhugongka County showed the largest biomass, while the biomass of C. convolvulacea in Dingqing County, Jiali County, Mangkang County, Chayu County, Nimu County, Suo County and Baqing County was all 0 t. The reserve of C. convolvulacea is determined by distribution area habitat and its own growth. In the 13 counties, the reserve of C. convolvulacea ranked as Gongbujiangda County> Mozhugongka County > Lang County > Zuogong County> Milin County > Duilongdeqing County > Dingqing County=Jiali County=Mangkang County=Chayu County=Nimu County=Suo County=Baqing County. The reserve of C. convolvulacea was biggest in Gongbujiangda County and was relatively small in Dingqing County, Jiali County, Mangkang County, Chayu County, Nimu County, Suo County and Baqing County.Targeting at the problems existing in the utilization of C. convolvulacea, some suggestions are put forward, such as establishment of reserve for medicinal plant ecological industry, artificial cultivation, renewing concept and rational exploitation and utilization. In this paper, the resource characteristics and sustainable utilization of Tibetan medicinal plants were studied so as to provide a theoretical basis for the rational development and utilization of C. convolvulacea in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ETHNOPHARMOCOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Herbo-metallic preparations have a long history in the treatment of diseases, and are still used today for refractory diseases, as adjuncts to standard therapy, or for economic reasons in developing countries.AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review uses cinnabar (HgS) and realgar (As4S4) as mineral examples to discuss their occurrence, therapeutic use, pharmacology, toxicity in traditional medicine mixtures, and research perspectives.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search on cinnabar and realgar from PubMed, Chinese pharmacopeia, Google and other sources was carried out. Traditional medicines containing both cinnabar and realgar (An-Gong-Niu-Huang Wan, Hua-Feng-Dan); mainly cinnabar (Zhu-Sha-An-Shen Wan; Zuotai and Dangzuo), and mainly realgar (Huang-Dai Pian; Liu-Shen Wan; Niu-Huang-Jie-Du) are discussed.
RESULTS: Both cinnabar and realgar used in traditional medicines are subjected to special preparation procedures to remove impurities. Metals in these traditional medicines are in the sulfide forms which are different from environmental mercurials (HgCl2, MeHg) or arsenicals (NaAsO2, NaH2AsO4). Cinnabar and/or realgar are seldom used alone, but rather as mixtures with herbs and/or animal products in traditional medicines. Advanced technologies are now used to characterize these preparations. The bioaccessibility, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of these herbo-metallic preparations are different from environmental metals. The rationale of including metals in traditional remedies and their interactions with drugs need to be justified. At higher therapeutic doses, balance of the benefits and risks is critical. Surveillance of patients using these herbo-metallic preparations is desired.
CONCLUSION: Chemical forms of mercury and arsenic are a major determinant of their disposition, efficacy and toxicity, and the use of total Hg and As alone for risk assessment of metals in traditional medicines is insufficient.
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The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is part of a network implicated in the development of self-regulation and whose connectivity changes dramatically in development. In previous studies we showed that 3 h of mental training, based on traditional Chinese medicine (integrative body–mind training, IBMT), increases ACC activity and improves self-regulation. However, it is not known whether changes in white matter connectivity can result from small amounts of mental training. We here report that 11 h of IBMT increases fractional anisotropy (FA), an index indicating the integrity and efficiency of white matter in the corona radiata, an important white-matter tract connecting the ACC to other structures. Thus IBMT could provide a means for improving self-regulation and perhaps reducing or preventing various mental disorders.
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BACKGROUND: This review aims to rate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations in high-quality systematic reviews of non-drug therapies. Hypertensive patients who are resistant or non-adherent to antihypertensive drugs may be easier to manage if they choose alternative non-drug therapies for hypertension, based on this review.METHODS: P: Adults (>18 years), except pregnant women, with essential hypertension. I: Cupping, moxibustion, acupuncture, acupoint stimulation, yoga, meditation, tai chi, Qi gong, Chinese massage, massage, spinal manipulation, biofeedback, device-guided breathing therapy, aromatherapy, music therapy, and relaxation approaches. C: 1. No treatment. 2. Sham therapy. 3. Conventional treatment, including antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle modification (e.g., exercise). O: 1. Change in the incidence of cardiovascular death. 2. Change in the incidence of myocardial infarction. 3. Change in the incidence of stroke. 4. Change in blood pressure (BP). 5. Efficacy rate of BP lowering. 6. Adverse effects (review specific). S: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, including meta-analyses and assessments of the methodological quality/risk of bias.
INFORMATION SOURCES: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane library, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database were searched. The bibliographies of the included articles were also searched for relevant systematic reviews. GRADE criteria were used to rate the quality of evidence in systematic reviews considering 6 factors, including risk of bias.
RESULTS: This review ultimately included 13 systematic reviews of 14 non-drug therapies (acupuncture, wet cupping, Baduanjin, blood letting, auricular acupuncture, music, massage, Qi gong, moxibustion, relaxation therapies, biofeedback, device-guided breathing, yoga and tai chi) based on the inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was generally low, and weak recommendations were given for most therapies except massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug. Based on the analyzed evidence, massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug could benefit people who want to lower their BP and do not have contraindications for massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug.
DISCUSSION/STRENGTH: The GRADE approach makes this review a unique reference for people who are considering the grade of quality of evidence in systematic reviews, the balance of desirable and undesirable consequences and the strength of recommendations to decide which intervention should be used to reduce BP.
LIMITATIONS: Many non-drug therapies were excluded due to the low methodological quality of their systematic reviews, and only 14 therapies were evaluated in this review. As no patient-important outcomes were reviewed, surrogate outcomes were used to rate the strength of recommendations. This approach may cause a decrease in evidence quality according to GRADE, but we argue that this is appropriate in the context of this review.
• A simultaneous microwave/ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction method was established for the first time. • Simultaneous microwave/ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic process can improve antioxidant capacity of juice by-product extract. • Simultaneous microwave/ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic process can increase the extraction efficiency of antioxidant ingredients. • <b>Nitraria tangutorun</b> Bobr. juice by-products extract exhibited excellent cell protection effect from oxidative injury.<br>By-products originating from food processing are a considerable disposal problem for the food industry. Because of the absence of specifically effective processing technology, huge quantities of by-products are often abandoned as rubbish and prone to microbial spoilage. Given this, a simultaneous microwave/ultrasonic assisted enzymatic extraction (SMU-AEE) method was established for the first time, and performed for antioxidant ingredients extraction from <b>Nitraria tangutorum</b> juice by-products (NJB) in the present study. Its experimental conditions were optimized by single factor test and response surface methodology (RSM), and gave the corresponding response values for antioxidant capacity of NJB extract (NJBE) of 219.73 ± 7.03 mg TE/g, which was 27.62%-190.23% higher than those obtained by traditional extraction methods. Chemical composition assay suggested that the increasing of antioxidant capacity of NJBE by SMU-AEE was because of the improvement of extraction efficiency of antioxidant ingredients from NJB, including phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Furthermore, oxidative injury protection ability assay showed that NJBE was good at protecting cells from UVB-oxidative phototoxicity and doxorubicin-oxidative cardiotoxicity, and its protecting ability surpasses or approaches to that of grape seed extract (GSE, the positive control drug), indicating its good potential to be a natural antioxidant in food and pharmaceutical industries.
Objective: To establish an HPLC-ELSD fingerprint of the whole herbs of Morina nepalensis and perform the correlation analysis of chemical components of the herb and nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition.; Method: HPLC-ELSD assay was performed to evaluate 10 batches of M. nepalensis herbs. The chromatographic conditions were as following: Eclipse XDB C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm), water (A) and acetonitrile (B) as a gradient mobile phases, flow rate 1.0 mL x min(-1), and column temperature at 35 degress C. Evaporative light-detection conditions: atomization temperature at 104 degrees C, the flow rate of N2 2.8 L x min(-1) and 10 microL sample injection. Chromatographic fingerprint was developed, and the inhibition activity of production of NO in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophages was also analyzed. The similarity and correlation analysis between the HPLC-ELSD fingerprints and NO production inhibition were carried out by PLS method.; Result: The common mode for M. nepalensis herb fingerprint was established, including 15 common characteristic peaks. Among them, 7 peaks were positively correlated with the NO production inhibition. According to the assessment on the similarity of 10 batches of samples, a similarity of over 0.90 were shown in HPLC-ELSD fingerprint and all samples were separated into two groups.; Conclusion: This method can be used to assess the quality of M. nepalensis, which provides a reliable method for scientific assessment and quality control.;
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Srolo Bzhtang (SBT), a traditional Tibetan medicine formula, was composed of three herbs, Solms-Laubachia eurycarpa , Bergenia purpurascens , Glycyrrhiza uralensis , and one lac, and was first documented in the ancient Tibetan medical work Four Medical Tantras (rGyud-bzhi) in the eighth century AD. It has been widely used to treat lung "phlegm-heat" syndromes such as chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential influences of aqueous extract of SBT on airway inflammation and mucus secretion and to reveal the underlying mechanism in a rat model of cigarette smoke (CS)-induced chronic bronchitis (CB). Materials and methods Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided to six groups: control (room air exposure), model (CS exposure), DEX (CS exposure and 0.2 mg/kg/day dexamethasone), and three SBT (CS exposure and 1.67, 2.50, and 3.34 g/kg/day SBT) groups. DEX and the three doses of SBT were administered by oral gavage every day for eight weeks. Pathological changes and mucus expression in the lung tissue were determined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) and immunohistochemical staining. The levels of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were assessed by ELISA. Western blot analysis and qRT-PCR were performed to explore the effects of SBT on the expression of IL-13, STAT6 and MUC5AC. Results Pretreatment with SBT attenuated the TNF-α, IL-8, IL-13 expression levels in BALF and the inflammatory cell infiltration in bronchial walls and peribronchial lung tissue. SBT exhibited a dose-dependent downregulation of MUC5AC expression as assessed by AB-PAS and immunohistochemical staining. The protein and mRNA levels of IL-13, STAT6/p-STAT6 and MUC5AC were also downregulated by SBT preconditioning. Conclusion These results for the first time demonstrated that SBT exhibited protective effects on CS-induced airway inflammation and MUC5AC hypersecretion, which might be related to the downregulation of the IL-13/STAT6 signaling pathway. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Glucose carbon microspheres have been widely used for wastewater treatment as adsorbent owing to their strong adsorption capacity, but for large-scale applications, the glucose carbon microspheres are inconvenient to be recycled from aqueous suspension due to their good suspendability. Moreover, the primitive nature of small particle size, large specific surface area and high surface energy of glucose carbon microspheres make them prone to aggregate and thus, disperse no-effectively for the other extended application. To solve this dilemma, polyester (PET) fibers decorated with glucose carbon microspheres (GC@PFs) were herein fabricated by one-step hydrothermal carbonization with acrylic acid as a coupling agent. The products were characterized by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Boehm titration, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TG), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and zeta potential respectively. The experimental results showed that a large amount of glucose carbon microspheres were evenly dispersed on the surface of carboxyl activated polyester fibers with uniform particle diameter, and the composite fibers showed desirable adsorption ability of cationic dyes for its more negative zeta potential. The dye adsorption isotherm follows Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model better. Remarkably, the adsorbent has an excellent recyclability for maintaining a high removal rate (>85%) to dye even after 10 cycles.<br>• Glucose carbon microspheres were evenly distributed on the PET fibers surface that solved the problem of easy aggregation. • The polyester fibers were firstly decorated with glucose carbon microspheres through one-step hydrothermal carbonization. • Acrylic acid maintained the integrity of PET fabric and introduced a quite number of carboxyl groups on the PET surface. • The surface decorated composite material possessed good adsorption property and easy recovery performance. • The glucose carbon microspheres decorated polyester fibers showed a highly selective adsorption for the cationic dyes.
This classic text is a comprehensive course in Taoist yoga with instructions by ancient and enlightened masters. Written in a question and answer format, "Taoist Yoga" provides complete instruction and training in a particular type of spiritual alchemy that allows us to achieve the divine state of immorality. This work is the forerunner of many more modern books on the subject, and describes the Taoist methods of stopping the generative force. Instead of only being discharged to procreate off-spring, this vital force can be retained in the body for purification and transmutation into positive vitality, so the spirit can be restored to its original primal state. It teaches us how to handle our sexual energy differently in order to enhance our spiritual growth. The teachings contained herein have been preserved for the last 47 centuries, and although these ancient texts address the male student, both men and women alike can benefit from the techniques of transforming sexual energy into heightened spiritual consciousness. Even if we fail to reach the ultimate goal of immortality, we can enjoy longevity, health and spiritual growth in the present life.
Background. The circadian clock is involved in drug metabolism, efficacy and toxicity. Drugs could in turn affect the biological clock as a mechanism of their actions. Zuotai is an essential component of many popular Tibetan medicines for sedation, tranquil and "detoxification," and is mainly composed of metacinnabar (β-HgS). The pharmacological and/or toxicological basis of its action is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of Zuotai on biological clock gene expression in the liver of mice. Materials and methods. Mice were orally given Zuotai (10 mg/kg, 1.5-fold of clinical dose) daily for 7 days, and livers were collected every 4 h during the 24 h period. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to real-time RT-PCR analysis of circadian clock gene expression. Results. Zuotai decreased the oscillation amplitude of the clock core gene Clock, neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (Npas2), Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1) at 10:00. For the clock feedback negative control genes, Zuotai had no effect on the oscillation of the clock gene Cryptochrome (Cry1) and Period genes (Per1-3). For the clock-driven target genes, Zuotai increased the oscillation amplitude of the PAR-bZip family member D-box-binding protein (Dbp), decreased nuclear factor interleukin 3 (Nfil3) at 10:00, but had no effect on thyrotroph embryonic factor (Tef); Zuotai increased the expression of nuclear receptor Rev-Erbα (Nr1d1) at 18:00, but had little influence on the nuclear receptor Rev-Erbβ (Nr1d2) and RORα. Conclusion. The Tibetan medicine Zuotai could influence the expression of clock genes, which could contribute to pharmacological and/or toxicological effects of Zuotai.
Background. The circadian clock is involved in drug metabolism, efficacy and toxicity. Drugs could in turn affect the biological clock as a mechanism of their actions. Zuotai is an essential component of many popular Tibetan medicines for sedation, tranquil and "detoxification," and is mainly composed of metacinnabar (β-HgS). The pharmacological and/or toxicological basis of its action is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of Zuotai on biological clock gene expression in the liver of mice. Materials and methods. Mice were orally given Zuotai (10 mg/kg, 1.5-fold of clinical dose) daily for 7 days, and livers were collected every 4 h during the 24 h period. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to real-time RT-PCR analysis of circadian clock gene expression. Results. Zuotai decreased the oscillation amplitude of the clock core gene Clock, neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (Npas2), Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1) at 10:00. For the clock feedback negative control genes, Zuotai had no effect on the oscillation of the clock gene Cryptochrome (Cry1) and Period genes (Per1-3). For the clock-driven target genes, Zuotai increased the oscillation amplitude of the PAR-bZip family member D-box-binding protein (Dbp), decreased nuclear factor interleukin 3 (Nfil3) at 10:00, but had no effect on thyrotroph embryonic factor (Tef); Zuotai increased the expression of nuclear receptor Rev-Erbα (Nr1d1) at 18:00, but had little influence on the nuclear receptor Rev-Erbβ (Nr1d2) and RORα. Conclusion. The Tibetan medicine Zuotai could influence the expression of clock genes, which could contribute to pharmacological and/or toxicological effects of Zuotai.
An English language compilation of articles by various authors regarding the status and management of Tibetan environment, resources, and wildlife.
Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a severe condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality in people living at high altitude. Tsantan Sumtang, a traditional Tibetan medicine, has been routinely used for the treatment of cardiopyretic disease, as well as stenocardia. Interestingly, our previous research found that Tsantan Sumtang improved HPH in rats maintaining in a hypobaric chamber. We performed a series of experiments to test the indexes of vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling, the key pathophysiological characteristics of HPH. Our results showed that Tsantan Sumtang relaxed noradrenaline (NE)-precontracted rat pulmonary artery rings in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. The PGI2-cAMP (prostaglandin I2-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) pathway, NO-cGMP (nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate) pathway, and the opening of K+ channels (inward rectifier K+ channels, large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, and voltage-dependent K+ channels) might play major roles in the vasorelaxation effect. In vivo, the administration of Tsantan Sumtang resulted in a substantial decrease in the rat mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI). The reduction of thickness of small pulmonary arterial wall and the WT% (the ratio of the vascular wall thickness to the vascular diameter) were observed. The smooth muscle muscularization of the arterials was alleviated by Tsantan Sumtang treatment at the same time. Tsantan Sumtang also reduced remodeling of pulmonary arterioles by suppressing the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) through inhibition of p27Kip1 degradation. Therefore, Tsantan Sumtang could be applied as a preventative medication for HPH, which would be a new use for this traditional medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a severe condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality in people living at high altitude. Tsantan Sumtang, a traditional Tibetan medicine, has been routinely used for the treatment of cardiopyretic disease, as well as stenocardia. Interestingly, our previous research found that Tsantan Sumtang improved HPH in rats maintaining in a hypobaric chamber. We performed a series of experiments to test the indexes of vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling, the key pathophysiological characteristics of HPH. Our results showed that Tsantan Sumtang relaxed noradrenaline (NE)-precontracted rat pulmonary artery rings in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. The PGI2-cAMP (prostaglandin I2-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) pathway, NO-cGMP (nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate) pathway, and the opening of K+ channels (inward rectifier K+ channels, large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, and voltage-dependent K+ channels) might play major roles in the vasorelaxation effect. In vivo, the administration of Tsantan Sumtang resulted in a substantial decrease in the rat mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI). The reduction of thickness of small pulmonary arterial wall and the WT% (the ratio of the vascular wall thickness to the vascular diameter) were observed. The smooth muscle muscularization of the arterials was alleviated by Tsantan Sumtang treatment at the same time. Tsantan Sumtang also reduced remodeling of pulmonary arterioles by suppressing the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) through inhibition of p27Kip1 degradation. Therefore, Tsantan Sumtang could be applied as a preventative medication for HPH, which would be a new use for this traditional medicine.
A sensitive and inexpensive method involving ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UA-DLLME) and pre-column derivatization followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) was developed for the analysis of glycyrrhetinic acid. In this work, glycyrrhetinic acid could be obtained by hydrolyzing glycyrrhizic acid to remove glucuronic acid and subsequently extracted by UA-DLLME using chloroform and acetone as the extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. The sample extraction was firstly concentrated to dry under nitrogen and then rapidly derivatized with 2-(12-oxobenzo[b]acridin-5(12H)-yl)-ethyl-4-toluenesulfonate (BAETS) after the UA-DLLME. The prime parameters influencing the UA-DLLME and derivatization procedure were optimized using response surface methodology. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed method has a better linearity in a wider range of 6-300 ng mL<sup>−1</sup> and a high square of correlation coefficient (<i>R</i> <sup>2</sup>) at 0.9994. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 1.7 ng mL<sup>−1</sup> and 5.8 ng mL<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of glycyrrhetinic acid in liquorice, liquorice apricot and sugar plum samples. For the analysis of the spiked samples, the spiked recoveries were in the range of 90.4-103.0 % with RSD less than 5.18 %. All results demonstrated that the UA-DLLME-HPLC-FLD (ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction-high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection) was a sensitive, accurate, efficient analytical method for the determination of glycyrrhetinic acid.
Zuotais regarded as the king of Tibetan medicine. However, the major starting material ofZuotais mercury, which is one very toxic heavy metal. This has aroused serious doubts on the biosafety ofZuotacontaining drugs. In this study, we quantified the Hg contents in fourZuotasamples, monitored the release of Hg in simulated gastric/intestinal juice and evaluated their cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells. Our results showed that the Hg contents inZuotasamples were in the range of 566–676 mg/g. Fortunately, the release of Hg fromZuotasamples was very low in simulated gastric juice, and much lower in simulated intestinal juice. Direct contact ofZuotawith Caco-2 cells led to dose-dependent cytotoxicity, including activity loss and membrane leakage. The toxicity was closely related to apoptosis, because the caspase 3/7 levels of Caco-2 cells increased after the exposure toZuota. Interestingly,Zuotasamples inhibited the oxidative stress at low concentrations, but the toxicity could be relived by antioxidants. The possible toxicity should be attributed to the cellular uptake ofZuotaparticulates. Beyond the cytotoxicity, significant differences amongZuotasamples from different institutions were observed, suggesting that the preparation process ofZuotahad meaningful influence of its biosafety. The implications to the safety and clinical applications ofZuotaare discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The leaves and twigs of Juniperus pingii var. wilsonii (Cupressaceae) smell aromatic and are traditionally used as the Tibetan medicine Xuba. Their essential oil obtained by ultrasonic-assisted hydrodistillation and volatiles collected by GC headspace technique were analyzed and compared by GC-MS. The analyses revealed the presence of thirty-nine components in the essential oil, representing 95.8% in content of the total oil, mainly including sabinene (22.6%), elemol (15.5%) and (-)-terpinen-4-ol (9.6%). Thirty-eight components accounting for 99.4% of the headspace volatiles were identified, mainly including sabinene (32.5%), β-pinene (21.9%) and α-thujene (10.3%). The compositions of the oil and headspace volatiles were quite similar, and twenty-five compounds identified were in common, which was 91.3% of the oil and 96.0% of the headspace volatiles in content. The essential oil could obviously inhibit Nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells with no significant effect on cell viability, indicating its good anti-inflammatory activity.
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