Proteomics analysis on hypolipidemic mechanisms of total phenylpropanoid glycosides from Ligustrum robustum(Roxb.) Blume in hamsters fed a high fat diet

OBJECTIVE To explore the hypolipidemic mechanisms of the total phenylpropanoid glycosides fromLigustrum robustum(Roxb.) Blume(LRTPG) in hamsters using proteomics technique.METHODS The hamsters were fed with a high fat diet to induce hyperlipidemia.Then LRTPG of high(1.2 g·kg^(-1)),medium(0.6 g·kg^(-1)) and low(0.3 g·kg^(-1)) doses were administrated daily for 4 weeks.Then the concentrations of plasma and hepatic lipids were determined using enzymic methods.The total protein was extracted from livers of the model group and the group treated with the high dose of LRTPG for label-free quantitative proteomics.RESULTS LRTPG significantly reduced the concentrations of plasma and hepatic lipids in hamsters fed a high fat diet.The proteomics data showed that a total of 2231 proteins were identified,and 549 proteins were found to be differentially expressed between the model group and the group treated with LRTPG.Among the 549 proteins,93 proteins were up-regulated and 59 proteins were down-regulated,and 397 proteins were absent or not.And some of these proteins were much related to the lipid metabolism.Further,gene ontology(GO) analysis indicated metabolic process,transport,oxidation-reduction process,phosphorylation,signal transduction,lipid metabolic process were the main biological processes that those differentially expressed proteins participated.KEGG pathway analysis showed that those proteins were involved in several metabolic pathways including oxidative phosphorylation,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,cAMP signaling pathway,cGMP-PKG signaling pathway.CONCLUSION The proteomics study could provide valuable clues to help us to understand the hypolipidemic mechanisms of LRTPG much better.

Antidepressant-like effects and memory enhancement of a herbal formula in mice exposed to chronic mild stress

Shen Yuan Gan（SYG） is a Chinese herbal prescription composed of total saponins of Panax ginseng and total oligosaccharide esters of Polygala tenuifolia（2：1）.Our previous studies have demonstrated that SYG has antidepressant-like effects in various mouse models of behavioral depression.The present study aimed to test whether SYG affected chronic mild stress（CMS）-induced depression and cognitive impairment in mice.We found that a 5-week CMS schedule induced significant degradation of the coat state,decreased sucrose intake in the sucrose-preference test,and increased the latency to feed in the noveltysuppressed feeding test.All of these CMS-induced changes were ameliorated by SYG（100 and 200 mg/kg） and fluoxetine（10 mg/kg）.In addition,SYG restored the decreased monoamine neurotransmitter concentrations（serotonin,dopamine,norepinephrine and acetylcholine） induced by CMS in the prefrontal cortex.Interestingly,SYG ameliorated CMS-induced cognitive impairment in the step-through test,and increased the acetylcholine level in the prefrontal cortex.These results suggest that SYG has an antidepressant-like action and enhances cognition by modulating the serotonin,dopamine,norepinephrine,and acetylcholine levels in the prefrontal cortex.

远志皂苷水解产物对SAMP8小鼠的益智作用研究（英文）

目的:本文主要评价远志皂苷水解产物(HPS)对SAMP8小鼠的益智作用,并对相关机制进行探索。创新点:HPS相较于远志皂苷有更高的安全性,毒性显著降低或消除;本研究所用的SAMP8模型是一个能较好地同时模拟阿尔兹海默病智力衰退及病理变化的代谢性模型,用于药效评价和机制研究更加可靠。方法:采用水迷宫(图4和5)及避暗(图6)两种经典的检测方法来评价药物的益智药效,并进一步用免疫印迹实验分析N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸(NMDA)受体水平来对机制进行探索(图7)。结论:本研究表明,HPS能明显改善SAMP8小鼠的认知损伤,其作用机制与调控NMDA受体相关通路有关。

Identification of Icaritin Metabolites in Rats by LC-MS/MS

Objective Icaritin is the main aglycone and also active intestinal metabolite of prenylflavonoids from the Chinese materia medica Epimedii Herba. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that icaritin has a wide range of biological activities. However, its metabolites and biotransformation pathways have not yet been comprehensively investigated. The present study aims to identify icaritin metabolites in rats by using a sensitive and effective LC-MS/MS method. Methods The plasma and urine samples of rats were collected before （blank） and after oral administration of icaritin, and subjected to liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. The full-scan LC-MS chromatograms of the plasma and urine samples were compared with those of blank samples to detect the possible metabolites, which were later detected by their product ion spectra. Results A total of 23 metabolites were identified, and conjugated icaritins produced by glucuronidation, glycosylation, and sulfation were its major metabolites. Minor demethylation, hydrogenation, and oxidation metabolites were also found. Conclusion Phase II metabolism is the main metabolic pathway of icaritin.

Neuroprotection of Stilbenes from Leaves of Cajanus cajan against Oxidative Damage Induced by Corticosterone and Glutamate in Differentiated PC12 Cells

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effects of four stilbenes, namely cajaninstilbene acid （CSA）, Iongistyline A, Iongistyline C, and cajanolactone A, isolated from the leaves of Cajanus cajan. Methods Neuroprotective effects of the four stilbenes were evaluated using rat pheochromocytoma cell line （PC12 cells） damage models induced by corticosterone （Cort） or glutamate. In order to elaborate whether the neuroprotective effects of stilbenes are related to anti-oxidant properties, both oxidant and anti-oxidant parameters were measured. Results The results of MTT assay and LDH release assay demonstrated that the four stilbenes possessed neuroprotective effects. Moreover, the treatment on PC12 cells with Cort or glutamate （Glu） could significantly increase the levels of ROS and MDA with decreasing the activities of SOD and CAT. However, the four tested stilbenes could significantly alleviate such situation by dropping out the levels of ROS and MDA, as well as enhancing the activities of SOD and CAT. Conclusion These results provide a scientific basis for further studies to explore the potential neuroprotective effects on neurodegenerative diseases.