Transcriptome signature identifies distinct cervical pathways induced in lipopolysaccharide-mediated preterm birth.

With half a million babies born preterm each year in the USA and about 15 million worldwide, preterm birth (PTB) remains a global health issue. Preterm birth is a primary cause of infant morbidity and mortality and can impact lives long past infancy. The fact that there are numerous, and many currently unidentified, etiologies of PTB has hindered development of tools for risk evaluation and preventative therapies.

Whole extracts of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae and Radix Cyathulae promote angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and in zebrafish .

Although Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (RAB) and Radix Cyathulae (RC) are from two different medicinal plants, they are both used as 'Niu-Xi', a widely used traditional Chinese medicine that is believed to stimulate menstruation and affect bone injury. Angiogenesis is actively involved in treating these illnesses. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the whole extracts of RAB and RC possess pro-angiogenic effects.

Preparative separation of gallocatechin gallate from Camellia ptilophylla using macroporous resins followed by sephadex LH-20 column chromatography.

Gallocatechin gallate (GCG) possesses multiple potential biological activities. However, the content of GCG in traditional green tea is too low which limits its in-depth pharmacological research and application. In the present study, a simple, efficient and environment-friendly chromatographic separation method was developed for preparative enrichment and separation of GCG from cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) which contains high content of GCG.

Differentiation of deer tendons from cattle tendons by a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test and bone remodeling bioassays.

Background: Deer tendons are believed more effective than cattle tendons in tonifying kidney yang (shen yang) and enhancing bone and tendons. This study aims to differentiate the two types of tendons by a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test and bone remodeling bioassays.

Methods: Internal control primers to detect both types of tendons and specific primers for deer tendons were designed according to a sequence analysis.

Pro-angiogenic effects of Carthami Flos whole extract in human microvascular endothelial cells in vitro and in zebrafish in vivo.

Aim: Carthami Flos (CF) is a Chinese herb traditionally used for cardiovascular disease and bone injury in China with pharmacological effects on improving blood circulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the angiogenic potential of CF whole extract (extracted by boiling with water, followed by ethanol) and the underlying mechanisms in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) in vitro and in transgenic TG(fli1:EGFP)(y1)/+(AB) zebrafish with transgenic endothelial cells expressing EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) in vivo.

Methods: Effects of CF whole extract on cell proliferation, migration and tube formation in HMEC-1 cells in vitro were detected by MTT assay, wound healing assay and tube formation assay.

Er-Miao-San, a traditional herbal formula containing Rhizoma Atractylodis and Cortex Phellodendri inhibits inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages through inhibition of NF-κB pathway and MAPKs activation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Er-Miao-San (EMS) is a traditional Chinese herbal formulation that contains combinations of Rhizoma Atractylodis (RA) and Cortex Phellodendri (CP). It exhibits analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and have been used for the treatment of various "Bi Zheng" for thousand years in China. The aims of the present study were to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of EMS and elucidate the underlying mechanisms with regard to its molecular basis of action for the best combination.

In vitro and in vivo mechanistic study of a novel proanthocyanidin, GC-(4→8)-GCG from cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) in antiangiogenesis.

Angiogenesis, the process of blood vessel formation, is critical to tumor growth. Ant-angiogenic strategies demonstrated importance in cancer therapy. Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla), a naturally decaffeinated tea commonly consumed as a healthy drink in southern China, had recently been found to be a potential candidate for antiangiogenesis.

Molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis effect of active sub-fraction from root of Rehmannia glutinosa by zebrafish sprout angiogenesis-guided fractionation.

Ethnopharmacological Importance: The root of Rehmannia glutinosa (Rehmanniae Radix (RR)) is clinically used as a wound-healing agent in traditional Chinese medicine. Angiogenesis acts crucially in the pathogenesis of chronic wound healing. The present study investigated the angiogenesis effect and its underlying mechanism of RR through zebrafish sprout angiogenesis guided-fractionation.

Molecular angiogenic events of a two-herb wound healing formula involving MAPK and Akt signaling pathways in human vascular endothelial cells.

The emergence of electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) technology has provided new insight in advanced cell behavioral study by its nanometer sensitivity, precise electrical wounds generation, and high reproducibility that can be monitored in real time in a noninvasive way. However, little is known regarding pro-angiogenic agents in wound healing studies using endothelial cells evaluated with ECIS technology. Our previous studies showed a prominent wound healing effect of a two-herb formula (NF3) comprising of Astragali Radix and Rehmanniae Radix in a rat chronic wound model through actions including angiogenesis.

Bioassay-guided isolation of anti-inflammatory components from the root of Rehmannia glutinosa and its underlying mechanism via inhibition of iNOS pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The root of Rehmannia glutinosa (RR) is commonly used to reduce inflammation in various traditional Chinese herbal formulae; however, little is known regarding its active component(s).

Aim Of Study: The objective of the present study was to examine the active component(s) responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of RR via anti-nitric oxide production assay-guided fractionation; and the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of action of such component(s) was further investigated.

Materials And Methods: Anti-nitric oxide (NO) activities with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.

Stachyose: One of the Active Fibroblast-proliferating Components in the Root of Rehmanniae Radix ( dì huáng).

This study aimed to investigate and compare the fibroblast-proliferating activities of different Rehmanniae Radix (RR) samples and its chemical components using human normal fibroblast cells Hs27. Those active components were quantified in differently treated RR samples using UPLC so as to correlate activity with component content. Our results showed that dried RR aqueous extract exhibited the most potent fibroblast-proliferating activity.

Synergistic interaction between Astragali Radix and Rehmanniae Radix in a Chinese herbal formula to promote diabetic wound healing.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Astragali Radix (AR) and Rehmanniae Radix (RR) are two traditional Chinese medicines widely used in China for treating diabetes mellitus and its complications, such as diabetic foot ulcer.

Aim Of Study: In our previous study, a herbal formula NF3 comprising AR and RR in the ratio of 2:1 was found effective in enhancing diabetic wound healing in rats through the actions of tissue regeneration, angiogenesis promotion and inflammation inhibition. The aims of the present study were to investigate the herb-herb interaction (or the possible synergistic effect) between AR and RR in NF3 to promote diabetic wound healing and to identify the principal herb in the formula by evaluating the potencies of individual AR and RR in different mechanistic studies.

Bioassay-guided isolation of norviburtinal from the root of Rehmannia glutinosa, exhibited angiogenesis effect in zebrafish embryo model.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The root of Rehmannia glutinosa (RR) is commonly used as a wound-healing agent in various traditional Chinese herbal formulae; while angiogenesis is one of the crucial aspects in wound-healing.

Aim Of The Study: The objective of the present study was to investigate the angiogenesis effects of RR aqueous crude extract and its active component(s) using zebrafish model.

Materials And Methods: The in vivo angiogenesis effect was studied using transgenic TG(fli1:EGFP)(y1)/+(AB) zebrafish embryos by observing the capillary sprouts formation in sub-intestinal vessel (SIV) of zebrafish embryos after 72 h post-fertilization under fluorescence microscopy.

The in vivo and in vitro diabetic wound healing effects of a 2-herb formula and its mechanisms of action.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The herbs Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Rehmanniae (RR) have long been used in traditional Chinese Medicine and serve as the principal herbs in treating diabetic foot ulcer.

Aim Of Study: Diabetic complications, such as foot ulcer, impose major public health burdens worldwide. In our previous clinical studies, two Chinese medicine formulae F1 and F2 have achieved over 80% limb salvage.