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1,2-diarylpropanes are a kind of abundant natural products formed by radical coupling. On account of molecular flexibility, it was challenged in the identifications of relative and absolute configurations of the 1,2-diarylpropanes. In this research, fourteen pairs of enantiomeric 1,2-diarylpropanes (1a/1b-14a/14b), comprising twelve previously undescribed pairs (1a/1b-4a/4b, 6a/6b-10a/10b, and 12a/12b-14a/14b), were isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida. Their structures were determined through multiple NMR spectral analyses, empirical NMR rules, X-ray crystallography, and the comparison of experimental ECD spectra with calculated data. In addition, the analysis of ECD spectra revealed that substituent effects could generate an inverted chiroptical response, exhibiting in mirror-image ECD signals. This phenomenon was investigated by conformational analysis, molecular orbital analysis, the transition density matrix and hole/electron distributions. Moreover, a potential experimental rule was proposed for the rapid determination of the absolute configurations of the 1,2-diarylpropanes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Seven undescribed neovibsane-type diterpenoids (1-7) were isolated from the leaves of Viburnum odoratissimum. Their planar structures and relative configurations were elucidated based on a combination of 1D and 2D NMR analysis. The absolute configurations were confirmed by Rh 2 (OCOCF 3 ) 4 -induced ECD analysis and comparison of experimental and TDDFT-calculated ECD spectrum. Based on the empirical results of the ECD of in situ formed Rh-complexes, rapid determination of the absolute configuration of C-14 within vibsane-type diterpenoids was proposed. In addition, 3 exhibited a high neuroblastoma cell protective effect of 81.8 % at 50 μM (the control group showed a neuroblastoma cell protective effect of 56.2 % at 50 μM)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A chemical investigation of leaves of Viburnum chingii afforded eleven compounds, including one undescribed lignan ( 1 ), a pair of known phenylpropanoid enantiomers ( 2a / 2b ), and eight known lignans ( 3 - 10 ). Their structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic and comparative literature data analysis. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 was determined by comparing the experimental ECD data with the calculated values. The compounds 2a / 2b were separated successfully by a chiral chromatographic column. In addition, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of described compounds were evaluated.

The investigation of chemical constituents from the rhizomes of Ruscus aculeatus resulted in the isolation of two new biphenyl derivatives, aculebiphenyls A and B ( 1-2 ), together with two known analogs ( 3-4 ). Their chemical structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic interpretation and HR-ESI-MS analysis. Compounds 3-4 were isolated from the Ruscus genus for the first time. The isolated compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory activities and antibacterial activities. Compound 1 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production and COX-2 with IC 50 values of 10.8  µ M and 0.4  µ M. Compound 1 also significantly down-regulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1 β , IL-6, and TNF- α . Compound 1 showed moderate antibacterial activities.

The characteristic 1 H NMR signals (H-7 and H 2 -9) are significant parameters that have been widely used to assess the relative configuration of H-7 and H-8 of 8,4'-oxyneolignans. However, many usual 8,4'-oxyneolignans cannot be accurately determined by existing NMR methods and no research considering their limitations was performed until now. In this study, the application scope of NMR methods was comprehensively studied and the Δδ H9a-H9b methods have been extended to solve the majority of configuration determination difficulties. The accuracy of extended NMR methods was verified by anisotropic NMR (RCSA measurements), NMR calculation and diverse statistical analysis (MAE ΔΔδ , CP3 and DP4+). Furthermore, the theoretical conformational analysis was performed to investigate the inherent limitations of existing NMR methods. This study could provide a valuable reference for determining the relative configuration of H-7 and H-8 in 8,4'-oxyneolignans and the relative configuration of 23 recently reported 8,4'-oxyneolignan derivatives should be reassigned as well., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Cyclovibsanones A-D ( 1 - 4 , respectively), featuring unprecedented caged tricyclo[5.4.1.0 5,9 ]dodecane and bicyclo[4.2.1]hexane cores, were isolated from the leaves of Viburnum odoratissimum . Their structures as well as that of one chemical derivative ( 5 ), which was transformed from 2 , were determined by spectroscopic data, theoretical calculations, and the ML- J DP4/MAE ΔΔδ methods. In addition, compounds 1 and 2 were found to possess dissimilarities in acid tolerance during nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The potential mechanism was consequently postulated and further supported through NMR analysis and mechanistic calculations. Biologically, chemical derivative 5 exerted antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cells.

Flavonoids have always been considered as the chemical basis for the hypoglycemic effect of mulberry leaves. In the course of our search for hypoglycemic effect agents from natural sources, a systematic study was launched to explore prenylated flavonoids from mulberry leaves. Herein, chemical investigation led to the isolation of 10 characteristic prenylated flavonoids, including two new compounds ( 1 and 3 ). Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic data. All compounds exhibited good α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro , among which compound 2 had the best activity (IC 50 = 2.6 μM), better than acarbose (IC 50 = 19.6 μM). Additional in vivo tests have further demonstrated compound that compound 2 has a good ability to reduce postprandial blood glucose. Then, multi-spectroscopic methods and molecular simulation studies were used to study the inhibition mechanism. The results showed that compound 2 was a mixed inhibition of α-glucosidase and the binding process was spontaneous, with van der Waals forces as the main driving force, followed by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic forces. The above studies enriched the chemical basis of mulberry leaves, and the application of computational chemistry also provided a reference for future research on such structures.

In order to find potential agents for treating cancer disease in naturally occurring compounds, we conducted a systematic phytochemical investigation on the endemic species of Garcinia nujiangensis. Three new biphenyl derivatives (1-3) and one new polycyclic polyprenylated benzophenone (4), together with four known benzophenone analogues (5-8), have been isolated from the CH 2 Cl 2 extract of the twigs and leaves of G. nujiangensis. Their structures were determined by detailed spectroscopic analyses and comparison with structurally related known analogues. Experimental and calculated ECD method was used to determine the absolute configuration of 1 and 4. Moreover, compounds 5-7 were isolated for the first time from this species. The cytotoxicities of the new compounds were evaluated using HL-60, HepG2, and A549 human cancer cell lines. Compound 4 showed more significant antiproliferative effects against HepG2 cells with an IC 50 value of 11.38 ± 0.79 μM than that of three biphenyl derivatives. The morphological features of apoptosis were evaluated in 4-treated HepG2 cells. Compound 4 effectively prevented the cell cycle progression of HepG2 cells in G 2 phase. Additionally, western blot analysis indicated that treatment of 4 on HepG2 cells led to decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and pro-Caspase-3, and increased protein expression of both pro-apoptotic Bax and cleaved PARP with reference to β-actin. Overall, our results suggested that the active polycyclic polyprenylated benzophenone derivatives in the twigs and leaves of G. nujiangensis can be used as a valuable source of bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two undescribed split-ring iridoids (1-2) with six known triterpenes (3-8) and one steride (9) were isolated from the Viburnum chingii. Compound 2 possessed an unprecedented split-ring iridoid skeleton formed by electrocyclic reaction and split ring. The structures and absolute configurations of the new iridoids were established by NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD calculations. All the isolated compounds were tested for AChE inhibitory activity. Biologically, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 displayed significant AChE effects compared to the positive control donepezil, and have also been subjected to molecular docking studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with an elevated danger of metastasis and a short survival rate. Vibsane-type diterpenoids with novel structures possess marked antitumor activities against multiple cancer cells. However, the exact mechanism is poorly unclear., Purpose: To assess the antitumor mechanism of vibsane-type diterpenoids derived from Viburnum odoratissimum (V. odoratissimum) against HCC cells in vitro and in vivo., Methods: The main constituents in the ethyl acetate extract of V. odoratissimum (EAVO) were identified by LC-MS/MS. The antiproliferative activity of EAVO in vitro was evaluated by MTT assays. Annexin V-FITC/PI, AO/EB, and Hoechst 33,258 staining were employed to detect apoptosis. JC-1 fluorescence dye was used to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). The levels of intracellular ROS and mitochondrial superoxides were assessed by H 2 DCF-DA and MitoSox staining, respectively. The levels of oxidative stress were determined by ROS Green™ H 2 O 2 probe, hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (HPF), and the C11 BODIPY 581/591 fluorescent probe. Transcriptomics was performed to investigate the antitumor mechanism of EAVO in HCC. The molecular mechanism by which EAVO suppressed HCC cells was verified by Western blot, RT-PCR, and HTRF® KinEASE™-STK S3 kits. The efficacy and safety of EAVO in vivo were evaluated using Hep3B xenograft models., Results: Vibsane-type diterpenoids were the main constituents of EAVO by LC-MS/MS. EAVO suppressed proliferation, aggravated oxidative stress, and promoted apoptosis in HCC cells. Moreover, EAVO dramatically inhibited tumor growth in Hep3B xenograft models. Transcriptomics results indicated that EAVO inhibited HCC cell proliferation by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Vibsanin B, vibsanol I, and vibsanin S isolated from EAVO was used to further verify the antitumor activity of vibsane-type diterpenoids subsequently. Interestingly, the kinase results showed that vibsanin B and vibsanol I exhibited vital AKT kinase inhibitory activities., Conclusions: Collectively, this study provided a comprehensive mechanism overview of vibsane-type diterpenoids against HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. It also laid a foundation for further antitumor investigation of vibsane-type diterpenoids in V. odoratissimum., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Highly oxidized germacranolides are mainly found in the genus Elephantopus , contain a characteristic ten-membered molecular core that is highly flexible, and exhibit potential cytotoxic properties. However, their configurations were assigned ambiguously in previous reports due to spectroscopic observation of macrocyclic systems. Herein, 17 highly oxidized germacranolides, including 12 new germacranolides ( 1 - 12 ), were isolated from Elephantopus tomentosus . Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic data analysis combined with X-ray crystallography and ECD calculations, and it was possible to propose configurational revisions of five previously reported analogues ( 13 - 17 ). Cytotoxic activities for 1 - 17 against two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) were tested, and compounds 1 - 10 and 13 - 16 generated IC 50 values of 2.2-9.8 μM. Furthermore, the observed cytotoxic activity of 1 was determined as being mediated by inducing the apoptosis of HepG2 and Hep3B cells via mitochondrial dysfunction.

Assisted by an MS/MS-based molecular networking guided strategy, six undescribed germacrane-type sesquiterpene lactones, namely scaberxones A-F, along with a known analog were obtained and characterized from Elephantopus scaber L. Their structures were unequivocally assigned by detailed spectroscopic analyses, NMR and ECD spectral calculations, and computer-assisted structure elucidation (CASE), complemented with single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All compounds were measured for their production of nitric oxide (NO) levels in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 microglial cells to assess their anti-neuroinflammatory activity. Scaberxone F showed the most potent inhibition of NO production at a concentration of 10 μM., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Two triterpenes (14 S ,17 S ,20 S ,24 R )-25-hydroxy-14,17-cyclo-20,24-epoxy-malabarican-3-one (CEM, 1a) and (14 S ,17 S ,20 S ,24 R )-20,24,25-trihydroxy-14,17-cyclomalabarican-3-one (CM, 2a ) with a cyclobutane ring were reported, which have the same NMR data as ocotillone ( 1b ) and gardaubryone C ( 2b ), respectively. An incorrect structure might be reported. Therefore, the structure reanalysis of these triterpenes was achieved by CASE algorithm and DFT chemical shift predictions, and the results showed that the structures of CEM and CM might be incorrect. To further verify the structure of compound 1 , the HMBC, 1 H- 1 H COSY and HSQC-TOCSY spectra were employed. Herein, we revised the structure of CEM and CM, and our study also showed that CASE algorithm and DFT chemical shift predictions can hold the post of effective structure reassignment method.

In our efforts to find potential agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in naturally occurring compounds, a systematic investigation for the active constituents of Flemingia philippinensis was carried out. Four new prenylated isoflavones, philippinone A-D (1-4), together with six known analogues (5-10), were obtained from the roots of Flemingia philippinensis. Their structures were established through extensive physical and spectroscopic data analysis. All the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effect of self-induced Aβ aggregation among which compound 5 showed significant Aβ aggregation inhibitory ability with the inhibitory rate of 70.56%. The results of molecular docking experiment for compounds 1 and 6 corresponded to that of the thioflavin-T assay. Moreover, the results further clarified the effects of different substituent group of tested compounds on the Aβ aggregation inhibition. A preliminary structure-activity relationship is further discussed. Our results suggested that the isoflavonoids may mitigate the progression of AD and compounds 2 and 5 may be a candidate in the treatment of AD., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two new prenylated coumarins, 3'-hydroxytoddanone ( 1 ), and isotoddalolactone ( 2 ), along with four known analogues ( 3 - 6 ) were isolated from the roots of Zanthoxylum nitidum . Their chemical structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic interpretation and HR-ESI-MS analysis. The absolute configuration of compound 2 was determined by comparing experimental ECD spectrum with that calculated by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method. Compounds 4-6 were isolated from the Zanthoxylum genus for the first time. The two new compounds were tested for antiproliferative activities in vitro on the HL-60, K562 and THP-1 cell lines. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate cell growth inhibitory activities in vitro against human leukemic HL-60 cell lines, with IC 50 values of 32.64 and 33.15 µM, respectively.

One new terpenylated coumarin ailanthuscoumarin was isolated from the root barks of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle. The high oxidation of the compound led to the difficulty of structure elucidation by 2D-NMR spectra. Its structure was determined with the aid of computer-assisted structure elucidation (CASE) expert systems and Gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR calculations. The absolute configuration of ailanthuscoumarin was determined by the comparison between the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The anti-hepatoma activity of ailanthuscoumarin against two human hepatoma cells (Hep3B, HepG2) was also reported.

Eleucanainones A and B are two structurally complex naphthoquinone-derived dimers whose structure identification is difficult. Large yellow fragments of the preliminary CASE (computer-assisted structure elucidation) analysis revealed that the original structures might be questionable. Structural revisions of the two compounds were proposed on the basis of NMR analysis, CASE methods, conformation analysis, and DFT (density functional theory) NMR calculations with a custom DP4+ analysis. In addition, a polyketide-folded biosynthetic pathway of the two revised structures was proposed.

A new monoterpene-lactone ( 1 ) along with five known compounds ( 2-6 ) were isolated from corn silk. The structure of the new compound was elucidated based on comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemical calculations of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) curves. All compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects against H 2 O 2 -induced damage in human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y). As a result, compound 1 exhibited weak neuroprotective activity.

Seven undescribed terpenylated coumarins, named altissimacoumarin I-O, together with seven known compounds, altissimacoumarin C, altissimacoumarin E, altissimacoumarin G, altissimacoumarin H, puberulin, 7-(3-Methyl-2-butenyloxy)-6-methoxycoumarin and artelin were isolated from the root bark of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectra data analysis, NMR calculation, DP4+ analysis and ACD/Structure Elucidator software simulation. The absolute configurations of altissimacoumarins K, L, M and N were determined by modified Mosher's method. All isolates were tested for their cytotoxic effect against two hepatoma carcinoma cell lines (HepG2, Hep3B). Altissimacoumarin C exhibited moderate cytotoxic effect against Hep3B cells, with IC 50 of 45.21 μM., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A pair of new flavan derivative enantiomers (1a and 1b), four new drimane sesquiterpene lactones (2-5) and a known compound (6) were isolated from Inonotus obliquus. Their structures were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1a/1b were separated by chiral chromatographic column successfully. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-5 were determined by comparison of their experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Notably, compounds 1a/1b represented the first pair of enantiomers in nature with tetrahydrofuran-flavan skeleton. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for (±)-1 was also proposed. All isolates were evaluated for their neuroprotective activities against H 2 O 2 -induced cell injury in SH-SY5Y cells. The results showed that compound 2 exhibited moderate neuroprotective activity at the concentration of 25.0 µM., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Phytochemical investigation of the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida led to the isolation of four pairs of dihydrobenzofuran neolignan enantiomers (1a/1b-4a/4b) including six new compounds (1a/1b, 2a/2b, 3a and 4a). The enantioseparations of the racemates were achieved successfully by chiral chromatographic column. Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and the absolute configurations were determined by quantum mechanical calculation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. All compounds were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity using human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B and HepG2 cells. Among them, it was found that 2a had a selective cytotoxicity against Hep3B cells with IC 50 value of 25.47 μM, while the IC 50 value of its enantiomer 2b on Hep3B cells was 59.37 μM. These results implied that the absolute configurations of 2a and 2b possessed remarkable influences on their cytotoxicity. Further flow cytometry analysis indicated that 2a performed more significant effect on cell apoptosis compared with its enantiomer 2b., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ten undescribed phenylpropanoid derivatives including four pairs of enantiomers and two 8-9' linked neolignans, together with fifteen known ones were isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge. Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Enantiomers were separated successfully by chiral chromatographic column and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the isolates were evaluated against two human hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Among them, (±)-crataegusanoid A, (±)-crataegusanoid B and crataegusanoid F exhibited moderate cytotoxicity. Interestingly, the different absolute configurations of (±)-crataegusanoid A and B demonstrated enantioselective cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. Further flow cytometry analysis indicated that both (-)-crataegusanoid A and (-)-crataegusanoid B performed more significant effects on cell apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle progression compared with their enantiomers (+)-crataegusanoid A and (+)-crataegusanoid B. In addition, the results revealed that these two pairs of enantiomers induced protective autophagy in HepG2 cells., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Three pairs of enantiomeric dihydrobenzofuran neolignans (1a/1b-3a/3b) including four new compounds (1a/1b and 2a/2b) were isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida. Their structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison between the experimental measurements of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and the calculated ECD spectra. Additionally, all the enantiomeric neolignans were investigated for their neuroprotective activities against H 2 O 2 -induced cell injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. It was found that enantiomers 1a and 1b displayed different degrees of neuroprotective activities, and the results showed enantioselectivity, in which that 1b exhibited noticeable neuroprotective activity, while its enantiomer 1a only exhibited obvious protective effect at lower concentration. Further study demonstrated that the potential protective activities of compounds appeared to be mediated via suppressing cell apoptosis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the expression and the subcellular localization of HDAC9 in different brain regions of mice after cerebral ischemic injury and explore the association between HDAC9 and ischemic stroke., Methods: Twenty-one male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham-operated group (n=9) and operated group (n=12). In the latter group, the mice with Zea-Longa neurological deficit scores of 2 or 3 following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were assigned into MCAO group (n=9). Immunofluorescence was performed to investigate the subcellular localization of HDAC9 in the brain tissues on day 3 after MCAO. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to analyze the expression of HDAC9 in different regions of the brain. Results Immunofluorescence showed more intense HDAC9 expressions in the brain tissues around the infarct focus, and in the cells surrounding the infarct, HDAC9 expression was obviously increased in the cytoplasm and reduced in the cell nuclei. Compared with the other brain regions, the ipsilesional cortex with MCAO showed more abundant HDAC9 expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05)., Conclusion: HDAC9 may be closely related to cerebral ischemic injury and participate in the pathophysiological process of ischemic stroke.

Objective: To explore the pharmacokinetics of amphotericin B (AMB) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during continuous intrathecal administration of AMB for treatment of cryptococcal neoformans meningitis (CNM)., Methods: The concentration of AMB in the CSF was measured using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) in 3 patients receiving continuous intrathecal infusion of AMB for CNM., Results: AMB concentrations in the CSF of the 3 patients exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AMB against Cryptococcus neoformans. The concentration-time curve showed that AMB concentration in the CSF underwent obvious variations on the first day of intrathecal infusion and after additional AMB doses, but maintained a stable level (0.61-1.21 µg/ml) on the next day., Conclusion: [corrected] Continuous intrathecal administration of AMB can enhance the drug concentration in the CSF and maintain a stable and effective drug level for treatment of CNM.

Objective: To study the protective effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) and Danshen on hippocampal neurons in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) with global ischemia-reperfusion injury., Methods: Global ischemia-reperfusion model was established in 54 male Z:ZCLA gerbils by occlusion of the bilateral carotid arteries. The animal models were randomized into 3 groups to receive treatment with normal saline, NGF, and Danshen 30 min after the reperfusion. At 6 h, 3 and 7 days after the reperfusion, the survival of the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons was observed using optical and electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in the neurons., Results: Neuronal apoptosis was not observed in the hippocampus 6 h after the reperfusion, but at 3 and 7 days, the number of apoptotic neurons increased significantly in the CA1 region. Compared with normal saline, treatments with NGF and Danshen both significantly reduced the number of apoptotic neurons at 3 and 7 days. The number of apoptotic neurons showed no significant difference between NGF and Danshen treatment groups at 3 days, but at 7 days, the apoptotic cell number was significantly lower in NGF group (P<0.05). Bcl-2 expression was the highest in NGF group, and its highest expression occurred at 6 h after the reperfusion; Bax expression was detected in saline group, and underwent no significant changes with the passage of time., Conclusion: Both NGF and Danshen show protective effects against global ischemia-reperfusion injury. NGF has a stronger protective effect than Danshen, and this finding provides experimental evidence for selecting appropriate protective agents in the treatment of ischemic brain damage.

Objective: To establish a rat model of focal lymphatic encephalopathy by partial ligation of the cerebral superficial artery for observation of the changes of Virchow-Robin spaces (VRS)., Methods: Thirty male SD rats were randomized into 3 groups (n=10), including two model groups and a sham-operated group. The rats in the model groups were subjected to partial ligation of the cerebral superficial arteries under EEG monitoring to induce focal lymphatic encephalopathy, and those in the sham-operated group underwent only dissociation of the cerebral superficial artery without ligation. The rats in the two model groups were executed at 24 and 48 h, and those in the sham-operated group at 48 h following the operation, respectively. Frozen sections of the brain tissues were prepared for microscopic morphological observation and quantitative analysis of the VRS using HE staining and an image analysis system, respectively., Results: EEG remained normal during the operations suggesting intact brain function. Partial ligation of the cerebral superficial arteries resulted in obvious dilation of the VRS in the cerebral cortex and subcortical medulla, and the tissues around the dilated VRSs appeared pale and structurally loosened. The two model groups showed significantly enlarged VRS areas as compared to the sham-operated group (P<0.01), but no significant differences were found in the mean VRS areas between the two model groups., Conclusion: Partial dilation of the cerebral superficial artery is effective and convenient to induce focal lymphatic encephalopathy in rats, and this model can be ideal for studying focal cerebral lymph circulation.