Antidepressant-like effects of the saponins extracted from Chaihu-jia-longgu-muli-tang in a rat unpredictable chronic mild stress model

Chaihu-jia-longgu-muli-tang (CLM) has been used for treating depressive disorders for thousands of years in China. In the present study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effect of the saponins extracted from CLM (SCLM) in rats subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). The ameliorative effect of SCLM on symptom of depression through behavior tests including: sucrose preference test, open-field test and forced-swimming test was investigated. In addition, high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD), immunohistochemical staining analysis and RT-PCR were applied to explore the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effects of SCLM. It was observed that administration of SCLM (70, 140 mg/kg) reversed the depressive-like behaviors, restored the reduction in the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and up-regulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in UCMS-treated rats. These findings confirmed the antidepressant-like effects of SCLM in UCMS model of rats.     

Steroidal saponins from Fritillaria pallidiflora Schrenk

Five new steroidal saponins, Pallidifloside D (1), Pallidifloside E (2), Pallidifloside G (5), Pallidifloside H (6) and Pallidifloside I (7), together with seven other steroidal saponins (3, 4, 8-12) were isolated from the dry bulbs of Fritillaria pallidiflora Schrenk. Their structures were established by spectroscopic techniques (IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR) and chemical means. The isolated steroidal saponins were evaluated for cyotoxic activity against human C6 brain gliomas and Hela cervix cancer cell lines using MTT assays. Compounds 1, 10, 11, 12 showed cytotoxicity against C6 and Hela cell lines with IC(50) values in the range of 5.1-75.8μM.     

Brain and spinal cord haemorrhages associated with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in four dogs

Multifocal haemorrhages associated with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection were observed in the central nervous system of four dogs with neurological signs including depression, seizures, spinal pain and paresis. In magnetic resonance images the majority of the lesions were isointense or slightly hyperintense in T1-weighted images, hyperintense in T2-weighted images and hypointense in T2*-weighted (gradient echo) images, compatible with haemorrhages more than seven days old. Lesions were found in the brain of three of the dogs and in the spinal cord of two. The cerebrospinal fluid contained high concentrations of protein and evidence of erythrophagia. All the dogs had coagulopathy and pulmonary haemorrhage of varying severity. A vasorum larvae were detected in the faeces of each of the dogs. Neural A vasorum was confirmed at postmortem examination in two dogs.     

Effects of cell cycle status on the efficiency of liposome-mediated gene transfection in mouse fetal fibroblasts

Methods for cell cycle synchronization of mouse fetal fibroblast cells (MFFCs) were first selected and optimized. When MFFCs were cooled at 5 C for different periods of time, the highest percentage of cells at the G0/G1 phase (75.4+/-2.9%), with 3.5+/-0.3% of apoptotic cells, was achieved after 5 h of treatment. Extended cooling increased the number of apoptotic cells significantly. When MFFCs were treated with different concentrations of roscovitine (ROS) for different periods of time, the highest percentage of G0/G1 cells (83.5+/-1.8%), with 9.2+/-0.6% apoptotic cells, was obtained after exposure to 10 microM ROS for 24 h. When the cells were cooled at 5 C for 5 h followed by incubation in 10 microM ROS for 12 h, 83.6+/-1.9% were synchronized at the G0/G1 stage, with 3.6% undergoing apoptosis. Cell cycle progression was then observed after release of the MFFCs from different synchronization blocks. The highest percentages of S and G2/M cells (81% and 75%) were achieved at 12 and 20 h, respectively, after release of the MFFCs from the cooling plus ROS treatment, and these percentages were significantly higher than those obtained after release from the cooling or ROS alone blocks. Finally, MFFCs were transfected with pEGFP-N1 plasmid at the peak of the G0/G1, S, and G2/M phases, respectively, after release from the different blocks and both the transient and stable transfection efficiencies were determined. The GFP gene expression was greatly enhanced when transfection was performed at the time when most cells were at the G2/M stage after release from cooling, ROS alone, and cooling plus ROS treatments. Statistical analysis revealed a close correlation between the rate of G2/M cells and the transient and stable GFP gene expression efficiencies. Together, the results indicated that (a) the best protocol for cell cycle synchronization of MFFCs was a 5-h cooling at 5 C followed by incubation in 10 microM ROS for 12 h which produced both a high rate of synchronization in the G0/G1 phase with acceptable apoptosis and a high rate of G2/M cells after release; and (b) that the cell cycle status had marked effects on the efficiency of liposome-mediated transfection in MFFCs, with the highest transfection efficiency obtained in cells at the G2/M stage.     

两个品种毛兔精液性状初步观察

1979年底以来,我省先后引进一批良种兔.为了加快纯繁扩群速度,我们于1981年6～12月,在我院兔场选择青壮年西德毛兔12只,本地全耳毛兔10只,共采精液238次,对两个品种毛兔的精液性状进行了观察比较.     

建花园工厂 创一流企业

云南铝业股份有限公司在依靠科技进步发展生产的同时,进一步加大了环境治理的投入力度,在绿化美化、环境整治等方面取得了明显成效,成为冶金行业和省内企业中少有的“绿色企业”。长期以来,公司把绿化、美化及环境整治工作纳入企业整体发展计划,制定了“树环保典范、建花园工厂、做文明员工、创一流企业”的企业发展方针,并把创建“秀外慧中”的花园式工厂,作为企业“形象工程”的主要内容。几年来,公司从实际出发,先后出资有偿受让厂区外两片约万平方米的土地进行植树造林“封闭绿化”。1997年,专门成立了绿化委员会,下设办公室,负责日常管…     

发展持续性的农田生产系统和种植制度

自从地球上出班农业以来,农业一直在检验着自然界的弹性。农业生产的目的在于获得最高的产量,谋求最大限度的利润和最高的经济效益,同时尽可能减小农业的不稳定性。自然植物群落正在被栽培植物取代。由于人们认识客观规律的局限性与片面性,随着生产的发展,经常会发生事与愿违的情况。这便导致     

怎样使绷紧的巢框铁丝不松动

江苏南京老山药业股份有限公司,2003年收购鲜王浆200余t,年产值1.5亿元,是国家、省市龙头企业。公司为实现蜂业产业化并促进蜂产品质量提高,近两年先后对本省及安徽、浙江等地十几处养蜂基地的蜂农进行了蜂产品质量安全等实用技术培训。公司除一副总经理带领数名员工抓产业化培训工作外,还先后投资近百万元搞养蜂基地建设。老山公司在总结近二年生产基地建设而达不到预期效果的经验教训后,决定采取拉开蜂王浆收购价差距,以促使并调动蜂农生产癸烯酸含量在1.8%以上的优质蜂王浆。具体做法是:癸烯酸含量达2%的春油菜蜂王浆收购价90元/kg,癸烯…     

如何防止茶梅花后死亡

茶梅寿命长,但管理不善的话,植株开花后容易出现大量落叶,并迅速死亡。这样的教训在好多花友的养花经历中都出现过。经过长时间摸索,笔者找到了以下防患于未然的方法。 1.狠心疏蕾。茶梅孕育花蕾特别多,不仅枝头长双蕾、三蕾、四蕾,而且多数叶腋里也长蕾。如果让这许多花蕾都留着开花,势必造成株体负担过重,使植株内和盆内的养分消耗殆尽。因此,到秋初季节,当茶梅的花蕾和叶芽可以明显区别时,就要下狠心疏蕾。对长势瘦弱的,要疏蕾保树;对长势旺盛的,也不要留蕾太多,一般4张叶以下的弱枝要全部剪除花蕾,4张叶以上的强壮花枝,每枝留蕾一个,少数壮枝留两个,然后将过密花蕾、背向蕾、内膛蕾和畸形蕾全部剪除。疏蕾时,不能     

再回炭山

十四年前去炭山看造林，看的是精神是信念。十四年后去炭山看生态，看的是赞叹是信心。一个务林人对山的情怀是与生俱来的，对生态文化的感悟不仅是人与自然的和谐，更多的是对山的敬畏对树木的敬畏对野生动植物的敬畏对整个生态系统的敬畏，感情中对一株草一点绿一棵树一遍翠的牵挂时刻在心尖盘旋。