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Objective: To investigate the effect of interleukin-10 (IL-10) on the expression of transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGFbeta(1)) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in hepatic stellate cells (HSC) during liver injury., Methods: The adenovirus vector (the titer was 1 x 10(7) efu/ml) encoded IL-10 gene was used to transfect the rat via the vein of caudal. At the same time, CCl(4) was injected into rat by a hypodermic injection. These processes went on twice a week. After eight weeks, the liver were perfused with collagenase IV and purified by density gradient centrifugation with Nycodenz for separate HSC. The level of IL-10 was measured by ELISA method; The expression of PDGF and TGFbeta(1) in HSC was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western-blot methods., Results: The level of IL-10 in therapy group (adenovirus vector encoding IL-10 gene group) was higher than that in non-therapy group (adenovirus vector without IL-10 gene and PBS group); The expression of TGFbeta(1) mRNA, TGFbeta(1) protein and PDGF mRNA, PDGF protein in therapy group were significantly lower than that in non-therapy group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Downregulating the TGFbeta(1) and PDGF expression could be the passageway by which IL-10 alleviate the degree of proliferation and activation in hepatic stellate cells.

Aim: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is known to regulate growth arrest and terminal differentiation of adipocytes and is used clinically as a new class of antidiabetic drugs. Recently, several studies have reported that treatment of cancer cells with PPARgamma ligands could induce cell differentiation and apoptosis, suggesting a potential application as chemopreventive agents against carcinogenesis. In the present study, 3 different kinds of PPARgamma ligands were subjected to the experiments to confirm their suppressive effects on liver carcinogenesis., Methods: Three PPARgamma ligands, pioglitazone (Pio) (200 ppm), rosiglitazone (Rosi) (200 ppm), and troglitazone (Tro) (1,000 ppm) were investigated on the induction of the placental form of rat glutathione S-transferase (rGST P) positive foci, a precancerous lesion of the liver, and liver cancer formation using a diethylnitrosamine-induced liver cancer model in Wistar rats, and dose dependency of a PPARgamma ligand was also examined., Results: PPARgamma ligands reduced the formation of rGST P-positive foci by diethylnitrosamine and induction of liver cancers was also markedly suppressed by a continuous feeding of Pio at 200 ppm., Conclusion: PPARgamma ligands are potential chemopreventive agents for liver carcinogenesis.

Goodyerin is a flavonol glycoside isolated from the whole plants of Goodyera schlechtendaliana which has been used as a substitute for the crude drug, Anoectochilus formosanus. The pharmacological properties of goodyerin were assayed for effects on spontaneous locomotor activity, on pentobarbital-induced hypnosis, and on anticonvulsant activity against picrotoxin-induced seizures in rodents. Goodyerin exhibited a significant and dose-dependent sedative and anticonvulsant effect.

Aim: To study the central hypotensive mechanism of Veratrum nigrum L var ussurience Nakai alkaloids (VnA) in renal hypertensive rats(RHR)., Methods: The quantitative method of immunocytochemistry (ICC) was used to observe and detect the effect of VnA (30 micrograms.kg-1, i.v.) on activity of central catecholaminergic (CA) neurons of C1, C2, A1, and A5 areas in RHR., Results: VnA increased the immunoreactivity (IR) of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase (TM)-immunopositive (IP) neurons of C1, C2, and A5 areas in RHR experimental group compared with RHR control group [positive units: (1.9 +/- 0.4), (1.18 +/- 0.23), (1.2 +/- 0.4) vs (0.15 +/- 0.22), (0.31 +/- 0.16), (0.69 +/- 0.20), respectively]; IR of TM-IP neurons of C1 and C2 areas in RHR control group was decreased compared with sham-operated group [positive units: (0.15 +/- 0.22), (0.31 +/- 0.16) vs (1.45 +/- 0.29), (1.36 +/- 0.25), respectively]., Conclusion: VnA increased the activity of central CA neurons in RHR to exert its hypotensive effect.

An ether-insoluble resin glycoside fraction was obtained from the seeds of Cuscuta australis. Identification and characterization of alkaline hydrolysis products by means of GC, FABMS, and 1H, 13C, and 2D NMR revealed the material to be composed of three new glycosidic acids, cuscutic acids A1-A3 (1-3); triglycosides with (11S)-jalapinolic or (11S)-convolvulinolic acid as the aglycon; and acetic, isobutyric, (2S)-2-methylbutyric, tiglic, and (2R,3R)-nilic acids. The resin glycoside is considered to be a complex mixture of glycosidic ester-type oligomers (up to heptamers) with a core consisting of a number of the above cuscutic acids each acylated with one or two carboxylic acid moieties.

A trisaccharide and four new glycosidic acids, named cuscutic acids A-D, along with known organic acids, acetic acid, propionic acid, (2S)-2-methylbutyric acid, tiglic acid, (2R, 3 R)-nilic acid, (11S) convolvulinolic acid and (11S)-jalapinolic acid have been isolated from the alkaline hydrolysate of the ether-insoluble resin glycoside-like fraction of the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis. The compounds were characterized on the basis of chemical and physical data.

Structural reconstruction from natural non-alkaloidal compounds might lead to new bioactivity. In this paper, the synthesis of one of such compounds--11-aminomethyl-2,6-dimethyl-3,9-diisopropyl-tricyclo [5.3.2.0(1.5)]dodeca-5, 9-dien-8-ol was reported. The compound was derived from curcumol via a tropone compound as an intermediate and was found to have an activity of markedly lowering blood pressure in anesthetized rats.