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Caulophyllum robustum Maxim (C. robustum) has commonly been used as traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of rheumatic pain and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China. This paper first investigated the anti-inflammation effect of C. robustum extraction (CRME) on RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gene expression levels of inflammatory factors. Moreover, we first evaluated the anti-RA effects of CRME using collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in DBA/1J mice, and the incidence, clinical score, and joint histopathology were evaluated. The levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and PGE2 inflammatory factors in sera of mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of NF-κB p65 in the joint was tested by immune histochemical technique. The results showed that, compared with the model group, CRME significantly improved symptoms of the arthritis index, limb swelling, and histological findings by decreasing synovial membrane damage, the extent of inflammatory cell infiltration, and the expansion of capillaries in CIA mice. The results also showed that CRME can reduce the levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and PGE2 and inhibit the expression of NF-κB p65. All these results indicated the anti-inflammatory efficacy of CRME as a novel botanical extraction for the treatment of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have identified the beneficial effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on motor behaviors in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the role and potential mechanisms of EA in PD-associated depression remain unclear. In the present study, a rat model of PD with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions in the medial forebrain bundle was treated using EA for 4 weeks. We found that 100 Hz EA improved several motor phenotypes. In addition, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemical analysis showed that EA had a minimal impact on the TH-positive profiles of the ipsilateral ventral tegmental area. Compared with the 6-OHDA group, long-term EA stimulation significantly increased sucrose solution consumption and decreased immobility time in the forced swim test. EA treatment did not alter dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels in the striatum and hippocampus. Noticeably, EA treatment reversed the 6-OHDA-induced abnormal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) in the midbrain and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that EA at 100-Hz possesses the ability to improve depressive-like symptoms in PD rats, which is, at least in part, due to the distinct effect of EA on the mesostriatal and mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic pathways. Moreover, BDNF seems to participate in the effect of EA in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Danhong injection (DHI) has been widely used in China for cardiocerebrovascular diseases treatments. And in this study, we demonstrated the therapeutic effect ofDHI on experimental diabetic neuropathy for the first time. Methods. Streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced SD rats were used. In experiment 1, 4-week treatment with DHI or saline started 4 weeks after STZ injection; mechanical allodynia was measured before and every 2 weeks after STZ injection. In experiment 2, chronic intrathecal infusion of U0126 was conducted during the 8th week of diabetes. Phosphorylated and total ERK1/2 in spinal cord were analyzed by western blot. BDNF level in sciatic nerve was evaluated by ELISA. Results. DHI treatment significantly alleviated mechanical allodynia at the end of the study and downregulated the expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 in spinal cord. In addition, DHI treatment also elevated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in sciatic nerve of DPN rat. In experiment 2, inhibition of ERK1/2 activation was confirmed to result in the alleviation of mechanical allodynia. Conclusions. We demonstrated that DHI was able to alleviate mechanical allodynia in diabetic neuropathy rat through inhibiting the activation of ERK1/2. The reduction of BDNF content in sciatic nerve was also partially reversed by DHI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]