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To study the effect of serum containing Xihuang pill on the proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 and the gene and protein expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, TP53, in order to explore the effect and mechanism of Xihuang pill in resisting breast cancer. The serum of the rats was prepared by the method of MTT assay. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by RT-PCR. The serum levels of Bcl-2 and Bax and the mRNA expression of TP53 were detected by immunofluorescence. The rats with serum containing Xihuang pill could inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-435 cells and MCF-7 cells (

Background: Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides (MOs) have been reported to exert neuroprotective and antidepressant-like effects in the forced swim test (FST) in mice. However, the mechanisms that underlie the antidepressant-like effects of MOs are unclear. Methods: Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) and FST were used to explore the antidepressant-like effects of MOs and resilience to stress in rats. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 was microinjected in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to explore the role of GSK-3β in the antidepressant-like effects of MOs. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphorylated-Ser9-glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), β-catenin, and synaptic proteins was determined in the mPFC and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) by Western blot. Results: We found that MOs effectively ameliorated CUS-induced depression-like behaviors in the sucrose preference test (SPT) and FST. The MOs also significantly rescued CUS-induced abnormalities in the BDNF-GSK-3β-β-catenin pathway and synaptic protein deficits in the mPFC but not OFC. The activation of GSK-3β by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 abolished the antidepressant-like effects of MOs in the FST. Naive rats that were treated with MOs exhibited resilience to CUS, accompanied by increases in the expression of BDNF, phosphorylated-Ser9-GSK-3β, and β-catenin in the mPFC. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the BDNF-GSK-3β-β-catenin pathway in the mPFC may underlie the antidepressant-like effect of MOs and resilience to stress.

Aim of the study To evaluate the antihypertensive effect of total flavone extracts from Puerariae Radix (FEPR). To explore the hemodynamic profiles and pertinent mechanism of the extracts. Materials and methods Acute and chronic antihypertensive effects of FEPR were examined in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) and reno-hypertensive rats (two kidneys one clip model, 2K1C). Anesthetized dogs were used to evaluate the hemodynamic effects of FEPR. The determination of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in vitro and plasma renin activity (PRA) and endothelin (ET) in vivo were used to study the pilot mechanism of FEPR. Moreover, the toxicity study of FEPR was evaluated. Results FEPR (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, i.v. ) notably reduced the blood pressure of SHRs in a short time period. A two-week administration of FEPR (45, 90 and 180 mg/kg, p.o. ) decreased the blood pressure of both 2K1C rats and SHRs. The results of hemodynamic study in anesthetized dogs showed that, left ventricular end systolic pressure and left ventricular d P /d t max had shown no significant difference between FEPR-treated dogs and those from the control group, while the cerebral blood flow increased significantly in FEPR-treated groups. FEPR significantly inhibited the ACE activities in vitro dose dependently, and inhibited the PRA in vivo , while the content of ET showed no difference in the FEPR treated group comparing with the control group. Conclusions FEPR shows significantly blood pressure lowering and cerebral vascular resistance (CVR) decreasing effect, which can partly be explained by the involvement of the Renin-Angiotensin-System (RAS).