Protective Effect of GRK2 and Effect of Sanguis Draconis Flavones on Focal Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats

[Objectives] To explore the protective effect of Sanguis Draconis flavones (SDF) on rat focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) models established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).[Methods] A total of 60 healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected. They were evenly and randomly divided into sham group, model group, edaravone group (12 mg/kg) and SDF group (360 mg/kg), and administered intragastrically and intraperitoneally. The middle cerebral artery of each rat was blocked by suture-occluded method to establish a CIRI model. After ischemia for 2 h and reperfusion for 48 h, the pathological injury on the ischemic side was observed by HE staining;the neuron and myelin sheath structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy;the expression of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) was preserved by immunohistochemistry;and the transfer of GRK2 was detected by western-blot.[Results] After 48 h of CIRI, the nuclei of the penumbral cortical neurons shrank, the chromatin was unevenly distributed, the nuclear membrane was dissolved and the mitochondria in the cytoplasm were swollen and vacuolated. The myelin layer was disordered. With this change, the distribution of GRK2 subcellular cells in the penumbra of the injured lateral cortex transferred from the cytoplasm to the membrane. SDF can effectively restore neuronal and myelin sheath structural damage and reduce the functional (membrane coupling) expression of GRK2.[Conclusions] GRK2 may be an effective target for SDF to protect the impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB) in CIRI.

Immunoregulatory Effects of Sanguis Draconis Flavones on Mouse Spleen Lymphocytes

[Objectives] This study aimed to study the effects of Sanguis Draconis flavones( SDF) on the immune regulation of mouse spleen lymphocytes. [Methods]A total of 60 BALB/c male mice were evenly and randomly divided into normal control group,model group,positive group,and high,middle and low-dose SDF groups. The mice in the model group were injected intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide to establish mouse immunosuppressive model. The mice in the other groups were intragastrically administered at the respective doses,and the body weight was weighed once a week during the administration period. After 30 d of administration,the thymus and spleen indexes,the spleen lymphocyte proliferation ability,the NK cell activity,and the IL-2,IL-4 and INF-γ contents in the culture supernatant were measured. [Results]SDF could significantly increase the thymus and spleen indexes and improve the spleen lymphocyte proliferation ability and NK cell activity of the mice,as well as increasing the IL-2 and INF-γ contents and reducing the IL-4 content in spleen lymphocyte suspension culture. [Conclusions] SDF have good immunoregulatory effect.

Z Draconis with two companions in a 2:1 mean-motion resonance

All available mid-eclipse times of the eclipsing binary Z Draconis are analyzed, and three sets of cyclic variations with periods of 20.1, 29.96 and 59.88 yr are found. The low-amplitude variations with a period of 20.1 yr may be attributed to the unavoidable slight imperfection in the double-Keplerian model, which gives periods of 29.96 and 59.88 yr. Interestingly, the Z Draconis system is close to a 2：1 mean- motion resonance, or a 6：3：2 mean-motion resonance if the 20.1 yr period really exists. We also find that the best solutions tend to give the minimum eccentricities. Based on Kepler＇s third law, the outermost companion has a minimum mass of - 0.77 Mo, whereas the middle companion is an M dwarf star with a mass of - 0.40 MG, suggesting that Z Draconis is a general N-body system.

A new photometric study of the triple star system EF Draconis

We present new charge-coupled device （CCD） photometry for the triple star EF Draconis, obtained in 2009 and 2011. Using the updated Wilson-Devinney program, the photometric solutions were deduced from two sets of light curves. The results indicate that EF Dra is an A-type W UMa binary with a contact degree of f = 46.7%（ ± 0.6%） and a third light of l 3 ■1.5%. Through analyzing the O C curve, it is found that the orbital period shows a long-time increase with a lighttime orbit. The period, semi-amplitude and eccentricity of the third body are P mod = 17.20（ ± 0.18） yr, A = 0.0039 d （ ± 0.0002 d ） and e = 0.49（ ± 0.02） respectively. This kind of tertiary companion may extract angular momentum from the central system. The orbital period of EF Dra secularly increases at a rate of dP/dt = ＋3.72（ ± 0.07） × 10 7 d yr 1 , which may be interpreted by mass transfer from the less massive to the more massive component. As period increases, the separation between components may increase, which will cause the contact degree to decrease. With mass transferring, the spin angular momentum will increase, while the orbital angular momentum will decrease. Only if the contact configuration would merge at J spin 〉1/3 J orb could this kind of deep-contact binary with period increasing, such as EF Dra, evolve into a rapidly-rotating single star.

Exploration of action mechanisms of Resina Draconis(Daemonorops draco Bl.)against pain by network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis

Background:Resina Draconis is a traditional Chinese medicine mainly used to treat pain.However,the pharmacological mechanisms and chemical composition of Resina Draconis are not clear yet.Methods:In this study,based on the 21 main active components of Resina Draconis previously analyzed by our group,the potential action targets of the active components were predicted and screened out by using the databases such as Swiss Target Prediction and Pharmapper.The genes corresponding to the related targets were retrieved by UniProt and GeneCards,and then the"component-target"network model was established using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software.The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by using STRING database for analysis.The STRING database was used for enrichment analysis of gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathways to explore the underlying action mechanisms.Result:A total of 21 main analgesic active components of Resina Draconis and 77 intersecting targets of Resina Draconis and pain were screened out.PPI network analysis indicated that such targets as albumin(ALB),tumor necrosis factor(TNF),RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(AKT1)and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)might be the core targets of analgesia.Through gene ontology enrichment analysis,a total of 169 gene ontology entries were obtained(P<0.01),including 111 biological processes,31 molecular functions and 27 cellular components.Through enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways,a total of 112(P<0.01)signaling pathways were screened.Conclusion:Dracaenogenins A,Resveratrol and 7,4′-dihydroxyflavone in Resina Draconis may be the main material basis for analgesia,which can interact with multiple targets such as AlB,AKT1,TNF,and EGFR,and exerts analgesic effect through signaling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,and Rap1 signaling pathway.

滇龙血竭分期干预对肺纤维化大鼠FIZZ1的影响

目的:观察滇龙血竭对肺纤维化(PF)大鼠肺组织中FIZZ1动态表达的影响,探讨其分期干预PF的作用机制。方法:采用博莱霉素法诱发大鼠PF模型。96只大鼠随机分为6组(空白对照组,模型空白对照组,滇龙血竭全程、早期及晚期干预组,吡非尼酮组)。于制模后1d灌胃相应药物,连续用药并在相应时间点取材。以免疫组化和RT-PCR技术检测FIZZ1在肺组织中的蛋白及mRNA表达水平,肺组织进行HE染色、Masson三联染色。结果:滇龙血竭早期及全程干预可降低PF大鼠肺组织中FIZZ1的mRNA及蛋白表达水平(P<0.01),以滇龙血竭全程干预组最佳,与吡非尼酮组比较,差异无统计学意义。结论:滇龙血竭早期及全程干预能减缓博莱霉素诱发的肺泡炎及纤维化进程,其机制可能与抑制"炎症暴发级联反应"的核心启动子FIZZ1在肺内的表达有关。

滇龙血竭分期干预对肺纤维化大鼠白细胞介素-4与干扰素的影响

目的:观察滇龙血竭对肺纤维化(PF)大鼠血清白细胞介素-4(IL-4)、干扰素(IFN-γ)水平的动态影响,探讨其干预PF的作用机制。方法:采用博莱霉素法诱发大鼠PF模型。96只SD大鼠随机分为6组:空白对照组,模型空白对照组,滇龙血竭全程、早期及晚期干预组,阳性药对照组。于制模后1d灌胃相应药物,连续用药并在相应时间点取材。以ELISA法检测血清IL-4及IFN-γ水平。结果:滇龙血竭早期及全程干预可降低血清IL-4水平(P<0.01,P<0.05),提高血清IFN-γ水平(P<0.01,P<0.05)。总体疗效以滇龙血竭全程干预组最佳,与阳性药对照组无显著性差异。结论:滇龙血竭早期及全程干预能够有效减缓博莱霉素诱发的肺泡炎及纤维化进程,其机制可能与调节IL-4/IFN-γ失衡有关。