Verbascoside promotes the regeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the substantia nigra

Tyrosine hydroxylase is a key enzyme in dopamine biosynthesis. Change in tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the nigrostriatal system is closely related to the occurrence and development of Parkinson＇s disease. Verbascoside, an extract from Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata has been shown to be clinically effective in treating Parkinson＇s disease. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. It is hypothesized that the effects of verbascoside on Parkinson＇s disease are related to tyrosine hydroxylase expression change in the nigrostriatal system. Rat models of Parkinson＇s disease were established and verbascoside（60 mg/kg） was administered intraperitoneally once a day. After 6 weeks of verbascoside treatment, rat rotational behavior was alleviated; tyrosine hydroxylase m RNA and protein expression and the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the rat right substantia nigra were significantly higher than the Parkinson＇s model group. These findings suggest that the mechanism by which verbascoside treats Parkinson＇s disease is related to the regeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the substantia nigra.

Myricetin protects hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons and improves learning and memory impairments in rats with Alzheimer's disease

There is currently no treatment for effectively slowing the progression of Alzheimer＇s disease, so early prevention is very important. Numerous studies have shown that flavonoids can improve memory impairment. The present study investigated the effects of myricetin, a member of the flavonoids, on intracerebroventricular streptozotocin induced neuronal loss and memory impairment in rat models of Alzheimer＇s disease. Myricetin at 5 or 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected into rats over 21 days. Control rats were treated with 10 m L/kg saline. Behavioral test（the shuttle box test） was performed on day 22 to examine learning and memory in rats. Immediately after that, hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the morphological change in hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons. Myricetin greatly increased the number of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons and improved learning and memory impairments in rats with Alzheimer＇s disease. These findings suggest that myricetin is beneficial for treatment of Alzheimer＇s disease.

Moxibustion upregulates hippocampal progranulin expression

In China,moxibustion is reported to be useful and has few side effects for chronic fatigue syndrome,but its mechanisms are largely unknown.More recently,the focus has been on the wealth of information supporting stress as a factor in chronic fatigue syndrome,and largely concerns dysregulation in the stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.In the present study,we aimed to determine the effect of moxibustion on behavioral symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome rats and examine possible mechanisms.Rats were subjected to a combination of chronic restraint stress and forced swimming to induce chronic fatigue syndrome.The acupoints Guanyuan（CV4） and Zusanli（ST36,bilateral） were simultaneously administered moxibustion.Untreated chronic fatigue syndrome rats and normal rats were used as controls.Results from the forced swimming test,open field test,tail suspension test,real-time PCR,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and western blot assay showed that moxibustion treatment decreased m RNA expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the hypothalamus,and adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels in plasma,and markedly increased progranulin m RNA and protein expression in the hippocampus.These findings suggest that moxibustion may relieve the behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome,at least in part,by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and upregulating hippocampal progranulin.

Regeneration of Fe_(2)O_(3)-based high-temperature coal gas desulfurization sorbent in atmosphere with sulfur dioxide

Regeneration of a high-temperature coal gas desulfurization sorbent is a key technology in its industrial applications.A Fe_(2)O_(3)-based high-temperature coal gas desulfurizer was prepared using red mud from steel factory.The influences of regeneration temperature,space velocity and regeneration gas concentration in SO_(2) atmosphere on regeneration performances of the desulfurization sorbent were tested in a fixed bed reactor.The changes of phase and the composition of the Fe_(2)O_(3)-based high-temperature coal gas desulfurization sorbent before and after regeneration were examined by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and the changes of pore structure were characterized by the mercury intrusion method.The results show that the major products are Fe3O4 and elemental sulfur;the influences of regeneration temperature,space velocity and SO_(2) concentration in inlet on regeneration performances and the changes of pore structure of the desulfurization sorbent before and after regeneration are visible.The desulfurization sorbent cannot be regenerated at 500℃ in SO_(2) atmosphere.Within the range of 600℃-800℃,the time of regeneration becomes shorter,and the regeneration conversion increases as the temperature rises.The time of regeneration also becomes shorter,and the elemental sulfur content of tail gas increases as the SO_(2) concentration in inlet is increased.The increase in space velocity enhances the reactive course;the best VSP is 6000 h^(-1) for regeneration conversion.At 800℃,20 vol-%SO_(2) and 6000 h^(-1),the regeneration conversion can reach nearly to 90%.