Major Water-soluble Components Research Articles

Betaine Suppresses Lipid Accumulation in Liver: Inhibition of FoxO6 and PPARγ Interaction.

Betaine is the major water-soluble component of Lycium chinensis. Although there are reports of a protective effect of betaine on fatty liver disease, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We attempted to elucidate the molecular regulation of betaine on hyperglycemia-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via Forkhead box O (FoxO)6 activation. HepG2 cells and liver tissue isolated from db/db mice treated with betaine were used. The present study investigated whether betaine ameliorates hepatic steatosis by inhibiting FoxO6/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) signaling in liver cells. Interestingly, betaine notably decreased lipid accumulation in tissues with FoxO6-induced mRNA expression of lipogenesis-related genes. Furthermore, betaine inhibited the FoxO6 interaction with PPARγ and cellular triglycerides in high-glucose- or FoxO6-overexpression-treated liver cells. In addition, we confirmed that betaine administration via oral gavage significantly ameliorated hepatic steatosis in db/db mice. We conclude that betaine ameliorates hepatic steatosis, at least in part, by inhibiting the interaction between FoxO6 and PPARγ, thereby suppressing lipogenic gene transcription.

Structural Elucidation and Activities of Cordyceps militaris-Derived Polysaccharides: A Review.

Cordyceps militaris is a parasitic edible fungus and has been used as tonics for centuries. Polysaccharides are a major water-soluble component of C. militaris. Recently, C. militaris-derived polysaccharides have been given much attention due to their various actions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, and immunomodulatory effects. These bioactivities are determined by the various structural characteristics of polysaccharides including monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and glycosidic linkage. The widespread use of advanced analytical analysis tools has greatly improved the elucidation of the structural characteristics of C. militaris-derived polysaccharides. However, the methods for polysaccharide structural characterization and the latest findings related to C. militaris-derived polysaccharides, especially the potential structure-activity relationship, have not been well-summarized in recent reviews of the literature. This review will discuss the methods used in the elucidation of the structure of polysaccharides and structural characteristics as well as the signaling pathways modulated by C. militaris-derived polysaccharides. This article provides information useful for the development of C. militaris-derived polysaccharides as well as for investigating other medicinal polysaccharides.

Pharmacokinetic characteristics of hydroxysafflor yellow A in normal and diabetic cardiomyopathy mice.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a major active water-soluble component in Carthamus tinctorius L., is considered a potential antioxidant with protective effects against myocardial injury. However, its pharmacokinetic characteristics in normal and diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) mice remain unknown. This study was designed to investigate the differences in the pharmacokinetics of HSYA between normal and streptozotocin-induced DCM mice. HSYA in the mouse plasma was quantified using LC-MS/MS. Compared with the normal group, the DCM group showed a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC(0-t) , AUC(0-∞) ) value and peak plasma concentration, suggesting a higher uptake of HSYA in the DCM mice, and a significantly lower plasma clearance and apparent volume of distribution, suggesting slower elimination of HSYA in the DCM mice. The levels of serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly higher, and malondialdehyde content was significantly lower in DCM mice than in normal mice, indicating the antioxidative stress effect of HSYA. Furthermore, the correlation analysis revealed that the serum HSYA content in the DCM mice significantly positively correlated with antioxidant enzyme levels. These results showed that the pharmacokinetics of HSYA changed significantly in the DCM mice, and this may improve the antioxidative stress effect of the drug.

Anticonvulsant and anti-apoptosis effects of salvianolic acid B on pentylenetetrazole-kindled rats via AKT/CREB/BDNF signaling

Neuronal apoptosis is a regulated intrinsic cell mechanism and common pathological phenomenon after seizures, which involves the protein kinase B/cAMP response element binding protein / brain derived neurotrophic factor (AKT/CREB/ BDNF) signaling pathway. In this study, we aimed to identify the effects of salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a major water-soluble component of the Chinese herb, Danshen, on rats in which seizures had been induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and the underlying molecular mechanisms mediating these effects. For this, 60 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a control group, a ‘PTZ’ group and a ‘PTZ + Sal B’ group. The animals in the control group received an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of saline on alternate days for a total of 15 injections and saline orally once a day for 29 days. The animals in the ‘PTZ’ group received PTZ (40 mg/kg, i.p.) on alternate days for a total of 15 injections and saline orally once a day for 29 days. Similarly, the animals in the ‘PTZ + Sal B’ group received PTZ (40 mg/kg, i.p.) on alternate days and Sal B (20 mg/kg) orally once a day for 29 days. Neural density was then evaluated using immunofluorescence (IF) staining of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2). Neuronal apoptosis was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining. In addition, the expression of several proteins related to AKT/CREB/BDNF signaling was measured using Western blotting. The results indicated that more severe seizures, decreased neural density, decreased expression of Bcl-2, increased expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and inactivation of AKT/CREB/BDNF signaling occurred in the ‘PTZ’ group in comparison with the control group. However, those changes were suppressed by Sal B. Thus, these data suggest that Sal B has anticonvulsant and anti-apoptotic effects in a PTZ-induced seizure model through activation of the AKT/CREB/BDNF signaling pathways.

Impact of mixed anthropogenic and natural emissions on air quality and eco-environment—the major water-soluble components in aerosols from northwest to offshore isle

Based on more than 300 atmospheric TSP and PM2.5 samples collected at five sites over China in 2007 and 2008, characteristics, sources, and interactions of the major water-soluble species were investigated for a better understanding of their role in urban air quality and offshore eco-environment. From the dust source regions in Northwestern China to an offshore isle over the East China Sea, concentration levels and fine/coarse particle distributions of five representative water-soluble components were well elucidated, reflecting the distinct differences of geo-history, location, and present economic situation among the target areas. NO3−/SO42− mass ratios reflected significant divergence of motorization among the studied regions. Specifically, a case study during the World Car-Free Day proved that traffic restriction measures could indeed help mitigate the aerosol species formed from vehicle emissions. Investigation on the molar concentration stoichiometry and mass percentage variations of particulate NO3−, SO42−, and NH4+ revealed that NH3 was a driving factor in the formation of major secondary water-soluble ions in atmospheric fine particles over urban areas. Based on the prevailing wind analysis, observation over an offshore isle clearly indicated the influence of the relative strength of anthropogenic sources and ocean-related natural sources on the formation and size distribution of MSA (methanesulfonic acid), a major water-soluble organic component in aerosol. Annual dry deposition flux of particulate NO3− and NH4+ over the East China Sea was estimated based on the strength of an improved calculation formula. Reductive nitrogen was found to be the major form of the deposited atmospheric inorganic nitrogen, accounting for ~ 69% of the total nitrogen depositions.

Polysaccharide from Angelica sinensis protects H9c2 cells against oxidative injury and endoplasmic reticulum stress by activating the ATF6 pathway

ObjectivesAngelica sinensis exerts various pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activity. This study aimed to investigate the active ingredients in A. sinensis with antioxidant properties and whether A. sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) protects H9c2 cells against oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.MethodsThe ingredients of A. sinensis and their targets and related pathways were determined using web-based databases. Markers of oxidative stress, cell viability, apoptosis, and ER stress-related signalling pathways were measured in H9c2 cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ASP.ResultsThe ingredient–pathway–disease network showed that A. sinensis exerted protective effects against oxidative injury through its various active ingredients on regulation of multiple pathways. Subsequent experiments showed that ASP pretreatment significantly decreased H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in H9c2 cells. ASP pretreatment inhibited H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species generation, lactic dehydrogenase release, and malondialdehyde production. ASP exerted beneficial effects by inducing activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and increasing ATF6 target protein levels, which in turn attenuated ER stress and increased antioxidant activity.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that ASP, a major water-soluble component of A. sinensis, exerts protective effects against H2O2-induced injury in H9c2 cells by activating the ATF6 pathway, thus ameliorating ER and oxidative stress.

Rapid profiling of polymeric phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza by hybrid data-dependent/targeted multistage mass spectrometry acquisition based on expected compounds prediction and fragment ion searching.

Phenolic acids are the major water-soluble components in Salvia miltiorrhiza (>5%). According to previous studies, many of them contribute to the cardiovascular effects and antioxidant effects of S. miltiorrhiza. Polymeric phenolic acids can be considered as the tanshinol derived metabolites, e.g., dimmers, trimers, and tetramers. A strategy combined with tanshinol-based expected compounds prediction, total ion chromatogram filtering, fragment ion searching, and parent list-based multistage mass spectrometry acquisition by linear trap quadropole-orbitrap Velos mass spectrometry was proposed to rapid profile polymeric phenolic acids in S. miltiorrhiza. More than 480 potential polymeric phenolic acids could be screened out by this strategy. Based on the fragment information obtained by parent list-activated data dependent multistage mass spectrometry acquisition, 190 polymeric phenolic acids were characterized by comparing their mass information with literature data, and 18 of them were firstly detected from S. miltiorrhiza. Seven potential compounds were tentatively characterized as new polymeric phenolic acids from S. miltiorrhiza. This strategy facilitates identification of polymeric phenolic acids in complex matrix with both selectivity and sensitivity, which could be expanded for rapid discovery and identification of compounds from complex matrix.

Betaine Potentials to Prevent Diabetes and Diabetic Complications: What Hindered the Favorable Clinical Trial Outcomes and What to do?

Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, is a major water-soluble component of Lyciumchinense and widely distributed in animals, plants, and microorganisms. It acts mainly as an important osmoprotectant as well as oxidative metabolite of choline by suppressing superoxide-induced free radicals through donation of methyl groups and was suggested to have beneficial actions in several human diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease

Salvianic acid A sodium protects HUVEC cells against tert-butyl hydroperoxide induced oxidative injury via mitochondria-dependent pathway

Salvianic acid A (Danshensu) is a major water-soluble component extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), which has been widely used in clinic in China for treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of salvianic acid A sodium (SAAS) against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) oxidative injury and the underlying molecular mechanisms. In the antioxidant activity-assessing model, SAAS pretreatment significantly ameliorated the cell growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by t-BHP. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) based-metabolic profiling was developed to investigate the metabolic changes of HUVEC cells in response to t-BHP and SAAS. The results revealed that t-BHP injury upregulated 13 metabolites mainly involved in tryptophan metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism which were highly correlated with mitochondrial function and oxidative stress, and 50 μM SAAS pretreatment effectively reversed these metabolic changes. Further biomedical research indicated that SAAS pretreatment reduced the t-BHP induced increase of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and the decrease of key antioxidant enzymes through mitochondria antioxidative pathways via JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signalings. Taken together, our results suggested that SAAS may protect HUVEC cells against t-BHP induced oxidative injury via mitochondrial antioxidative defense system.

Seasonal Variations in Particle Size Distribution and Water-soluble Ion Composition of Atmospheric Particles in Chengdu

Size-resolved atmospheric particles were collected monthly from February 2012 to January 2013 on the campus of Chengdu University of Technology using the Anderson multi-stage impactor sampler. The mass concentrations of these samples and the contents of nine water-soluble ion species were analyzed. The results showed that the annual average concentrations of PM2.1 and PM11 in Chengdu during the sampling period were (125.9±56.14) μg·m-3 and (224.5±83.64) μg·m-3, respectively. The highest mass concentration of particulate matter was observed in winter, followed by spring while the lowest was in autumn. The average content of water-soluble ions in particulate matter in Chengdu was about 37.15 μg·m-3 and the order of water-soluble ion mass concentrations was SO42- > NO3- > NH4+ > Ca2+ > Cl- > Mg2+ > K+ > Na+ > F-. Meanwhile, SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ were the major water-soluble ionic components that accounted for 78% of total water-soluble ions. Unimodal distribution was observed for SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ mainly in fine particles, while Ca2+ and F- were concentrated in coarse particles and their distribution was also unimodal. Similar size distributions were found for Cl- and K+, as well as Mg2+ and Na+, both of which were bimodal. The content of water-soluble ions in both fine and coarse particles during winter and spring was significantly higher than that in summer and autumn in Chengdu. Based on the correlation analysis for major ions, SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ in fine particles are likely in the form of (NH4)2SO4, NH4HSO4, and NH4NO3. In coarse particles, the major water-soluble ions (i.e. SO42-, NO3-, and Ca2+) might exist in the forms of Ca(NO3)2 and CaSO4. The secondary formation processes, soil dust, and biomass burning are the major sources of water-soluble ion species in the particulate matter in Chengdu.

Salvianolic Acid B Inhibits High-Fat Diet-Induced Inflammation by Activating the Nrf2 Pathway.

Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) is a major water-soluble bioactive component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which is a traditional Chinese medicine. We investigated the ways in which Sal B affects high-fat diet (HFD)-induced immunological function disorder remission using a C57BL/6 mouse model. We gave groups of C57BL/6 mice a normal diet (Control), a normal diet supplemented with Sal B (Control + Sal B), a high-fat diet (HF), and a high-fat diet supplemented with Sal B (HF + Sal B) for 10 wk. Sal B supplementation decreased the body weight and plasma lipids, increased the fecal excretion of lipids, prevented the accumulation of chronic oxidative stress, and reversed the disproportionality of CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ T lymphocytes compared to HFD. We found an increase in IL-6 and TNF-α, while IL-10 decreased in plasma after the HFD and Sal B reversed the deregulation of the Thl/Th2 ratio. In addition, HFD-induced inflammation was stopped by Sal B through the downregulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible NO synthesis (iNOS), and the upregulation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-regulated genes. These findings demonstrated that Sal B could effectively attenuate inflammation by activating the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense system.

Effect of betaine on hepatic insulin resistance through FOXO1-induced NLRP3 inflammasome

In the present study, we attempted to elucidate whether molecular modulation of inflammation by betaine through the forkhead box O1 (FOXO1)-induced NLRP3 inflammasome improves insulin resistance. Betaine is a major water-soluble component of Lycium chinense. It mainly functions as an oxidative metabolite of choline by suppressing superoxide-induced free radicals by donating methyl groups. The FOXO1 transcription factor regulates various genes involved in cellular metabolic processes related to cell death as well as oxidative stress responses through binding to the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). Betaine is known to inhibit FOXO1 phosphorylation through phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) in liver cells exposed to insulin.To elucidate the molecular mechanism of inactivation of insulin-induced FOXO1 by the antioxidant betaine, we used HepG2 cells and the liver of db/db mice treated with betaine at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day for 3 weeks.We found that the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome genes was reduced by betaine, which resulted in the suppression of reactive species (RS) production in liver cells. In addition, betaine inhibited insulin-induced PI3K/AKT and FOXO1 activation. Therefore, betaine suppressed the cytokine interleukin-1β production by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome via interaction of FOXO1 and TXNIP.Our results suggest that betaine inhibits the FOXO1 binding to TXNIP, leading to the suppression of RS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in a diabetic liver.

Tanshinol Alleviates Osteoporosis and Myopathy in Glucocorticoid-Treated Rats.

Tanshinol is a major water-soluble active component of Salvia miltiorrhiza. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether tanshinol has potential therapeutic effects against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and glucocorticoid-induced myopathy. Ninety-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: a control group, a model group, and three model groups treated with 25 or 50 mg/kg of tanshinol, or calcitriol. All model groups received prednisone acetate for 90 days to induce glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Afterwards, all animals underwent a surgical procedure to induce bone defects at the right proximal tibia. Prednisone treatment was stopped after surgery, but tanshinol or calcitriol treatment was continued to the endpoint. At the experimental endpoint, compared to the model group, 25 mg/kg tanshinol could significantly reverse glucocorticoid-induced loss of bone mineral density by 12.5 %, while enhancing mechanical bone strength, causing a significant 11 % increase in trabecular number, and reducing trabecular separation by 28 %. In addition, tanshinol improved the bone microarchitecture and prevented glucocorticoid-induced bone loss by promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption. Moreover, results of bone defect repair and muscle weight measurements revealed that tanshinol accelerated the bone fracture healing process and attenuated muscle atrophy caused by glucocorticoid. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis showed a 1-fold upregulation in mRNA levels of transforming growth factor beta and roughly 6-fold increases in vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression in calluses from the tanshinol groups. Tanshinol also preserved muscular ubiquitin mRNA levels from glucocorticoid-induced elevation. These findings demonstrate the potential benefits of tanshinol against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and glucocorticoid-induced myopathy, which warrants further investigation in future studies.

Processing technologies affect the aroma but not the taste of teas: A study of Yunnan Biluochun, Jiangsu Biluochun, and other regular green teas

ABSTRACTTo evaluate the effect of the processing technology utilized on the quality of teas, the major water-soluble and volatile components of 24 Biluochun and regular green tea samples obtained in different production areas were determined using the sensory evaluation, Folin-Ciocalteu method, the phenol-sulfuric acid method, high-performance liquid chromatography, and headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. There were small differences between the contents of the major water-soluble compounds identified in these samples. Sixty-five volatile compounds were identified in these teas. These molecules included 22 hydrocarbons, 18 alcohols, 8 ketones, 6 esters, 3 aldehydes, 3 heterocyclics, 2 nitrogens, 1 lactone, 1 acid, and 1 phenolic. Statistical analyses of these 65 compounds using principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed that the contents of the Biluochun samples were highly similar and were different from those of the regular green teas. This study suggested that, although the geographical origin and cultivar influenced the aroma characteristics of tea products somewhat, processing technologies played an important role on tea aroma.

Molecular Mechanism of Betaine on Hepatic Lipid Metabolism: Inhibition of Forkhead Box O1 (FoxO1) Binding to Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARγ)

Betaine is a major water-soluble component of Lycium chinensis. Although there are reports about the protective effects of betaine on hepatic steatosis, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We used db/db mice and HepG2 cells to examine the mechanism underlying betaine-mediated protection against hepatic steatosis. Here, we showed increased hepatic lipid accumulation in db/db mice, which is associated with increased activation of lipogenic transcription factors including forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), whereas betaine administration by oral gavage reversed these characteristics. We investigated whether betaine ameliorates hepatic steatosis by inhibiting FoxO1/PPARγ signaling in HepG2 cells. Although adenovirus-mediated FoxO1 overexpression notably increased mRNA expression levels of PPARγ and its target genes including FAS and ACC, betaine treatment reversed them. Furthermore, betaine inhibited FoxO1 binding to the PPARγ promoter and PPARγ transcriptional activity in HepG2 cells, which was previously shown to induce hepatic steatosis. We concluded that betaine ameliorates hepatic steatosis, at least in part, by inhibiting the FoxO1 binding to PPARγ and their downstream lipogenic signaling cascade.

Salvianolic acid B ameliorates CNS autoimmunity by suppressing Th1 responses

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), is a Th1 and Th17 cell-mediated CNS autoimmune disease. Therefore, immune regulation is a key target for therapy. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) is a major water-soluble bioactive component of the famous traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza, which is notable for its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus Sal B, by impairing Th1 or Th17 responses in EAE/MS, might ameliorate the crippling symptoms. Here we show that the intraperitoneal administration of 30mg/kg Sal B daily for 14 days after the onset of MOG-induced EAE in mice effectively reduced its severity. Additionally, Sal B treatment downgraded the infiltration of inflammatory cells, limited astrogliosis and blocked Th1 responses other than that of Th17. These results indicated that Sal B may serve as an effective therapeutic agent for MS/EAE by inhibiting Th1 cell responses.

Salvianolic Acid B Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Albumin Leakage from Rat Mesenteric Venules through Src-Regulated Transcelluar Pathway and Paracellular Pathway.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes microvascular barrier disruption, leading to albumin leakage from microvessels resulting in a range of disastrous sequels. Salvianolic acid B (SalB) is a major water-soluble component derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Previous studies showed its potential to attenuate microvascular barrier dysfunction, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The present study was intended to investigate the impact of SalB on endothelial cell barrier in vivo in rat mesenteric venules as well as in vitro in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), aiming at disclosing the mechanism thereof, particularly the role of Src in its action. Male Wistar rats were challenged by infusion of LPS (2 mg/kg/h) through left femoral vein for 90 min. SalB (5 mg/kg/h) was administrated either simultaneously with LPS or 30 min after LPS infusion through the left jugular vein. Vesicles in venular walls were observed by electron microscopy. HUVECs were incubated with LPS with or without SalB. The expression of Zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), VE-cadherin, caveolin-1 and Src in HUVECs was assessed by Western blot and confocal microscopy, binding of SalB to Src was measured using Surface Plasmon Resonance and BioLayer Interferometry. Treatment with SalB inhibited albumin leakage from rat mesenteric venules and inhibited the increase of vesicle number in venular endothelial cells induced by LPS. In addition, SalB inhibited the degradation of ZO-1, the phosphorylation and redistribution of VE-cadherin, the expression and phosphorylation of caveolin-1, and phosphoirylation of Src in HUVECs exposed to LPS. Furthermore, SalB was found able to bind to Src. This study demonstrates that protection of SalB against microvascular barrier disruption is a process involving both para- and trans-endothelial cell pathway, and highly suggests Src as the key enzyme for SalB to work.

Rapid detection and characterization of major phenolic compounds in Radix Actinidia chinensis Planch by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Radix Actinidia chinensis Planch is a traditional Chinese herb, and its decotion had been widely used clinically to treat several types of cancer. In our study, the phenolic compounds constituting the major water soluble components of Radix A. chinensis were profiled and characterized by ultraperformance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 50 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, including caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, 29 catechin derivatives, 12 quinic acid derivatives and 7 coumarin derivatives. Most of the identified compounds were firstly reported from A. chinensis. Among them, scopoletin, scoplin, isofraxoside and quinic acid derivatives have not ever been reported from genus Actinidia previously. These phenolic compounds might be responsible for the antitumor activity of the water extract of radix A. chinensis, and the established analytical method could be applied to further study of quality evaluation and active components of Radix A. chinensis.

Source apportionment of size-segregated atmospheric particles based on the major water-soluble components in Lecce (Italy)

Atmospheric aerosols have potential effects on human health, on the radiation balance, on climate, and on visibility. The understanding of these effects requires detailed knowledge of aerosol composition and size distributions and of how the different sources contribute to particles of different sizes. In this work, aerosol samples were collected using a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI). Measurements were taken between February and October 2011 in an urban background site near Lecce (Apulia region, southeast of Italy). Samples were analysed to evaluate the concentrations of water-soluble ions (SO42−, NO3−, NH4+, Cl−, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) and of water-soluble organic and inorganic carbon. The aerosols were characterised by two modes, an accumulation mode having a mass median diameter (MMD) of 0.35±0.02μm, representing 51±4% of the aerosols and a coarse mode (MMD=4.5±0.4μm), representing 49±4% of the aerosols. The data were used to estimate the losses in the impactor by comparison with a low-volume sampler. The average loss in the MOUDI-collected aerosol was 19±2%, and the largest loss was observed for NO3− (35±10%). Significant losses were observed for Ca2+ (16±5%), SO42− (19±5%) and K+ (10±4%), whereas the losses for Na+ and Mg2+ were negligible. Size-segregated source apportionment was performed using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), which was applied separately to the coarse (size interval 1–18μm) and accumulation (size interval 0.056–1μm) modes. The PMF model was able to reasonably reconstruct the concentration in each size-range. The uncertainties in the source apportionment due to impactor losses were evaluated. In the accumulation mode, it was not possible to distinguish the traffic contribution from other combustion sources. In the coarse mode, it was not possible to efficiently separate nitrate from the contribution of crustal/resuspension origin.

Salvianolic acid B inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation through transforming growth factor beta-1 signal transduction pathwayin vivoandin vitro

Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) is a major water soluble component extracted from Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae, a traditional Chinese herb widely used for treating cardiovascular and hepatic diseases. Sal B has been reported to inhibit transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-stimulated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and collagen type I expression. In this study, we further investigated the mechanisms of Sal B on liver fibrosis relating to TGF-β/Smads signalling pathway, especially to TGF-β1 receptors. Liver fibrosis model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) for four weeks. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal, model, and Sal B groups. Rats in Sal B group were treated by oral administration of Sal B for four weeks from the first day of DMN exposure. Hydroxyproline (Hyp) content in liver tissue was assayed using Jamall's method and collagen deposition was visualized using Sirius red staining. HSCs were isolated from normal rats, and were cultured primarily in uncoated plastics. At day 4 after isolation, cells were stimulated with 2.5 ng/mL TGF-β1, and treated with 1 and 10 µmol/L Sal B and 10 µmol/L SB-431542 (TβR-I inhibitor) for 24 h, respectively. Cell proliferation was examined with 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay. The expressions of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Smad3 were assayed by immunofluorescent stain and Western blotting. The expression of TβR-I was analysed by Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The activity of TβR-I kinase was measured by ADP-Glo kinase assay. The results showed that Sal B could inhibit collagen deposition and reduce Hyp content significantly, and decrease expressions of TGF-β1 and TβR-I in fibrotic liver invivo. Also, Sal B decreased the expressions of α-SMA and TβR-I, inhibited Smad3 nuclear translocation and down-regulated TβR-I kinase activity invitro. These findings suggested that Sal B could prevent HSCs activation through TGF-β signalling pathway, i.e. inhibiting TGF-β1 expression, activity of TβR-I kinase and Smads phosphorylation.