Tribulus terrestris L. Extract Alleviates Atherosclerosis by Suppressing TNF-α-Mediated Macrophage Inflammation.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. In traditional Chinese medicine, Tribulus terrestris L., or Baijili (BJL), has shown therapeutic effects on inflammation and cardiovascular issues.

Qiangxinyin formula protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Heart failure is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease and characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation and fibrosis. The traditional Chinese medicine formula Qiangxinyin (QXY) is effective for the treatment of heart failure while the underlying mechanism is not clear. This study aims to identify the active ingredients of QXY and explore its mechanisms protecting against cardiac hypertrophy.

Tribulus terrestris L. extract ameliorates atherosclerosis by inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in ApoE mice and A7r5 cells via suppression of Akt/MEK/ERK signaling.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Atherosclerosis (AS) is one of major threatens of death worldwide, and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is an important characteristic in the progression of AS. Tribulus terrestris L. is a well-known Chinese Materia Medica for treating skin pruritus, vertigo and cardiovascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.

L. Extract Protects against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in RAW 264.7 Macrophage and Zebrafish via Inhibition of Akt/MAPKs and NF-B/iNOS-NO Signaling Pathways.

Inflammation response is a regulated cellular process and excessive inflammation has been recognized in numerous diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. L. (TT), also known as Bai Jili in Chinese, has been applied in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years while its anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism are not fully elucidated.

Oyster peptide prevents the occurrence of exercise-hypogonadal male condition by improving the function of pituitary gonadal axis in male rats.

This study evaluates the protective role of oyster peptide (OP) on the occurrence of Exercise-Hypogonadal Male Condition. Male rats were given heavy-load swimming training and / or OP was supplemented for 6 consecutive weeks. After heavy-load training, sperm count, sperm viability and sperm motility in epididymis, testosterone in serum and testis, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and androgen receptor (AR) in testis and mating times were remarkably decreased, malondialdehyde (MDA), capture latency and mating latency were significantly increased, mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) and P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) were obviously down-regulated, but serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) were not statistically changed.

Pharmacological Activity, Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicity of Timosaponin AIII, a Natural Product Isolated From Bunge: A Review.

Bunge is a famous Chinese Materia Medica and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than two thousand years. Steroidal saponins are important active components isolated from Bunge. Among which, the accumulation of numerous experimental studies involved in Timosaponin AIII (Timo AIII) draws our attention in the recent decades.

Pro-angiogenesis effect and transcriptome profile of Shuxinyin formula in zebrafish.

Background: Angiogenesis plays a critical role in ischemia disease like coronary heart disease. Shunxinyin formula has been developed for treating coronary heart disease according to the principle of traditional Chinese medicine while its underlying mechanism is not fully elucidated.

Purpose: Here, we hypothesize Shuxinyin formula could promote angiogenesis and microcirculation, and the underlying mechanism is also investigated.

Antiangiogenesis effect of timosaponin AIII on HUVECs in vitro and zebrafish embryos in vivo.

Timosaponin AIII (Timo AIII) is a natural steroidal saponin isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge with proved effectiveness in the treatment of numerous cancers. However, whether Timo AIII suppresses tumor angiogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the antiangiogenesis effects of Timo AIII and the underlying mechanisms in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and zebrafish embryos in vivo.

Endothelial-Dependent and Independent Vascular Relaxation Effect of Tetrahydropalmatine on Rat Aorta.

Tetrahydropalmatine (THP) is an active natural alkaloid isolated from W.T. Wang which has been widely used for treating pain and cardiovascular disease in traditional Chinese medicine.

Transient acid treatment cannot induce neonatal somatic cells to become pluripotent stem cells.

Currently, there are genetic- and chemical-based methods for producing pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells, but all of them are extremely inefficient.  However, a simple and efficient technique has recently been reported by Obokata et al (2014a, b) that creates pluripotent stem cells through acid-based treatment of somatic cells.  These cells were named stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) stem cells.

Potent anti-angiogenic activity of B19--a mono-carbonyl analogue of curcumin.

Aim: The compound B19 (C21H22O5) is a newly synthesized, mono-carbonyl analog of curcumin that has exhibited potential antitumor effects. This present study was performed to identify the anti-angiogenic activity of this compound.

Methods And Results: B19 inhibited migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and arrested microvessel outgrowth from rat aortic rings.

Fennel-like nanoaggregates based on polysaccharide derivatives and their application in drug delivery.

Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles, which hold hierarchical morphologies, are of importance for controlled drug delivery. In this work, nanoparticles with fennel-like morphology were prepared from graft copolymers of hydroxyethylcellulose and poly(p-dioxane). The effect of microstructure parameters on the morphological transition of the nano-aggregates was studied and the nanoparticles were investigated as a carrier of hydrophobic drug.