Oral administration of Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom in rats induces tumors in multiple organs.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom (AMK), belonging to the Aristolochia family, is traditionally used in China to remove heart fire, promote dieresis, restore menstruation, and enhance milk secretion. The active constitutes of AMK are aristolochic acids (AAs, I and II) that are reported to cause serious side effects including nephrotoxicity and carcinogenicity.

Aim Of The Study: The tumorigenic role of AMK is far to be understood.

Fingolimod treatment promotes proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) leading to functional deficits. The remyelination process is mediated by oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Fingolimod, a sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator, stimulates OPC differentiation into mature oligodendrocytes, in addition to its well-known anti-inflammatory effect.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulates white matter changes via the BDNF/TrkB pathway after stroke in mice.

Stroke induced white matter (WM) damage is associated with neurological functional deficits, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we investigate whether endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) affects WM-damage post-stroke. Adult male wild-type (WT) and eNOS knockout (eNOS(-/-)) mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Axonal remodeling of the corticospinal tract in the spinal cord contributes to voluntary motor recovery after stroke in adult mice.

Background And Purpose: We sought to demonstrate the contribution of axonal remodeling of the corticospinal tract (CST) in the spinal cord to functional outcome after stroke.

Methods: Bilateral pyramidotomy (BPT) or sham-BPT was performed in mice with transgenic yellow fluorescent protein labeling in the CST subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). Foot-fault and single pellet reaching tests were performed 3 days after MCAo and weekly thereafter.

The sonic hedgehog pathway mediates brain plasticity and subsequent functional recovery after bone marrow stromal cell treatment of stroke in mice.

Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) improve neurologic recovery after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). To examine whether in vivo blockage of the endogenous sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway affects grafted MSC-induced neurologic benefits, MCAo mice were administered: vehicle (control); cyclopamine (CP)- a specific Shh pathway inhibitor; MSC; and MSC and cyclopamine (MSC-CP). Neurologic function was evaluated after MCAo.

[Development of an animal model of blood stasis syndrome and thrombosis].

Objective: To develop an animal model of thrombosis and blood stasis syndrome in rats by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in combination with carrageenan (Ca).

Method: SD rats in control group were randomly divided into control group and model group (LPS/Ca treatment). The rats in model group were firstly treated with Ca ip, and followed by LPS iv sixteen hours later.

[Nephrotoxicity of Aristolochia manshuriensis and aristolochic acids in mice].

Objective: The acute toxic effects of Aristolochia manshuriensis (GMT) and the total aristolochic acids (TA) were compared in mice with aristolochic acid A (AA) as the dose standard. The dose relationship of the renal toxicity induced by Aristolochia manshuriensis was determined.

Method: A single dose of GMT extract or TA was given intragastrically to mice at different doses.

[Studies on the renal toxicity caused by aristolochic acids (AAs) and Chinese herbs containing AAs].

The article summarized the general situation of the study on the renal toxicity caused by aristolochic acids (AAs) and Chinese herbs containing AAs. The renal lesion induced by AAs and Chinese herbs containing AAs locates mainly in renal tubules, and glomeruluses have no obvious histological change. The short term administration of large doses causes acute renal epithelia denaturalization and tubular necrosis, but the long-term administration may result in chronically progressive interstitial fibrosis of the kidney.