Biomedical subjects

Zeng-Chun Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Zeng-Chun Ma.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Proteomic analysis effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Ginsenoside Rg1 (derived from ginseng root) has been found to have many vasoprotective activities. The present study was undertaken to examine effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with or without tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). We showed here that ginsenoside Rg1 can increase the basal and TNF-alpha-attenuated NO production in a dose-dependent manner. As little is known regarding the vascular molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 on HUVECs and proteomic technique has more advantages in molecular identification, we attempted to use proteomic analysis to explain vascular molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 on HUVECs. Proteomic analytical result showed that 21 protein spots were changed in TNF-alpha stimulated HUVECs, including 9 up-regulated spots, 11 down-regulated spots, and 1 spot detected in TNF-alpha stimulated group only. The expression level of proteins such as MEKK3, phosphoglycerate mutase was increased, and nitric-oxide synthase, mineralocorticoid receptor were decreased in TNF-alpha stimulated HUVECs, while ginsenoside Rg1 could prevent this change or reverse to some degree. This study suggested that NO production increased via ginsenoside Rg1 played an important role in the protective effect on TNF-alpha stimulated HUVECs and was helpful to deeply understand the active mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 to HUVECs at the molecular level.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed2006

Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

AIM: To investigate the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) affected by ginsenoside Rg1 and further explore the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 using proteomics. METHODS: The proliferation of VSMC was measured by MTS assay kit and flow cytometry. Proteomic alterations were analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis and peptide mass fingerprinting. Differential proteins found in proteomics were confirmed by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The proliferation of VSMC was enhanced significantly after tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) treatment, and ginsenoside Rg1 treatment inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Proteomic analysis showed 24 protein spots were changed, including 17 spots that were increased and 7 spots that were decreased. Ginsenoside Rg1 could restore the expression levels of these proteins, at least partly, to basic levels of untreated cells. The expression of G-protein coupled receptor kinase, protein kinase C (PKC)-zeta, N-ras protein were decreased, while cycle related protein p21 was increased by ginsenoside Rg1 in TNF-alpha treated VSMC. CONCLUSION: PKC-zeta and p21 pathway might be the mechanism for inhibitory effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on proliferation of VSMC.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Effects of four Si-Wu-Tang's constituents and their combination on irradiated mice.

Effects of four Si-Wu-Tang (SWT)'s constituents, fructose (Fru), paeoniflorin (Pae), ferulic acid (FA), tetramethyl pyrazine (TP), and their combination on irradiated mice as model of anaemia were investigated, with the purpose of further understanding the relationship between SWT's constituents and activities. Similarly to SWT, oral administration of Fru, Pae, FA, TP and their combination, to some extent, all showed effects of increasing the number of peripheral leukocyte and increasing four types of progenitor cells in bone marrow, including colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), colony-forming unit-mature erythroid (CFU-E), colony-forming unit-immature erythroid (BFU-E) and colony-forming unit-multipotential (CFU-mix). Pae and FA showed significant body weight reducing effect, which were largely abolished when they were combined with Fru and TP. The SWT, Fru and combination significantly increased the thymus index while Pae significantly decreased it. Both SWT and TP significantly increased the spleen index but the combination did not. The results suggested that multiple constituents contribute to the promoting effect of SWT on hematopoiesis. Although being a very common compound in plants, the Fru has a special contribution to SWT's effect, which cannot be neglected. It may be an important active constituent that is responsible for SWT's promoting effect on hematopoiesis and immunity. Another suggestion is that when being combined, some effect of one constituent, sometimes is unexpected side effect, may be abolished by other. This may reflect the advantage of multiple constituent characteristics possessed by most TCMs.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

[Effects of Siwu decoction on bone marrow protein expression of blood deficiency mice induced by cyclophosphamide].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Siwu decoction on protein expression of blood deficiency mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CIX) and discuss the possible molecular mechanism on blood enriching function of Siwu decoction. METHOD: Blood deficiency mice were established by injecting ip with 250 mg x kg(-1) CTX. Proteomic technologies were applied to identify the different protein. RESULT: Siwu decoction could restore the changes of 12 up-regulated and 3 down-regulated proteins in bone marrow of blood deficiency mice induced by cyclosphosphamide. CONCLUSION: Siwu decoction could effect expression of proteins which functions including apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation of the haematopoietic stem/progenitor cell. The regulation in the molecular level might be the mechanism of stimulating hematopoiesis in bone marrow fo siwu decocetion.

Actin Depolymerizing Factors↗

PubMed2005

[Hematopoietic effect of siwu decoction in the mice with blood deficiency induced by compound method of bleeding, starved feeding and exhausting].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the hematopoietic effects of Siwu decoction in the mice with blood deficiency induced by compound method of bleeding, starved feeding and exhausting and lay experimental basis under the blood-enriching function of Siwu decoction in different models of blood deficiency. METHOD: The animal model of blood deficiency was established by a combination of starved feeding with routine food at the rate of 75 g(-1) kg(-1) body weight per day, swimming 20 minutes and removing 0.4 mL blood every other day in each mouse. The amount of peripheral blood cells, the cell cycle and the apoptosis of bone marrow cells and the percentage of CD34+ in bone marrow cells were detected by microcellcounter and flow cytometry. RESULT: The amount of red blood cells in model mice was significantly increased by Siwu decoction at different dosages, from 4.6 x 10(12) to 6.5, 7.1 and 7.0 x 10(12) respectively. At the 15th day, the percentages of bone marrow cells at S stage in the treated group were 14.34%, 14.03% and 13.58% which were significantly higher than that in model group without treatment of Siwu Decoction. CONCLUSION: Siwu decoction significantly improve the hematopoiesis in the mice with blood deficiency induced by compound method mentioned above.

Angelica sinensis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Microarray analysis of altered gene expression in diallyl trisulfide-treated HepG2 cells.

Diallyl trisulfide (DT) is a natural compound derived from garlic. Despite its reported lipid-lowering effects, the mechanisms of its actions are not clear yet. To further understand the molecular mechanisms of actions of this compound, microarray technology was used in the present study to investigate the lipid-lowering effects of DT on HepG2 cells. To optimize the concentration of DT treatment on HepG2 cells, a series of concentration of DT were incubated with HepG2 cells for 24 h. The data indicted that the concentrations of DT in the range from 20 to 50 microM were effective in lowering cellular total triglyceride and cholesterol, with no significant cytotoxicity. Using oligonucleotide microarrays and RT-PCR technology, the genes that were differentially regulated by DT were identified. The results showed that peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPAR-alpha) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF-4alpha) mRNA were up-regulated, and CYP7A1 mRNA was down-regulated following DT treatment, suggesting that the lipid-lowering effects of DT may be at least in part mediated through the regulation of PPAR-alpha dependent pathways.

Allyl Compounds↗