Authentication of the 31 species of toxic and potent Chinese materia medica by microscopic technique assisted by ICP-MS analysis, part 4: four kinds of toxic and potent mineral arsenical CMMs

Toxic and Potent Chinese Materia Medica (T/PCMM) is a special and very important category of Chinese medicines. They have long been used in traditional medical practice and are being used more and more widely throughout the world in recent years. As there may be many fatal toxic effects caused by misusing or confusion of T/PCMM, their quality and safety control arouse increasing attention internationally. Researches on the accurate identification to ensure the safe use of T/PCMM are acquired; however, there are few reports on authentication. We are carrying out a series of studies on 31 T/PCMM originating from plants, animals, minerals, and secreta. In our previous studies, we proved that modern microscopic authentication is a simple, fast, effective, low cost, and less toxic method for identifying animal, seed, and flower T/PCMM. In the present study, we focused on the authentication of four kinds of mineral arsenicals, including orpiment (mainly containing As₂S₃), realgar (mainly containing As₄S₄), arsenolite, and arsenic trioxide (mainly containing As₂O₃). We examined the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the above minerals and found that they all can be easily identified and authenticated by using light microscopy coupled with polarized microscopy. Moreover, the authentication results for arsenolite and arsenic trioxide are confirmed by ICP‐MS analysis. We are sure that the morphological and microscopic characteristics indicated here are indispensable to establishing standards for these four mineral T/PCMMs. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74:1‐8, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

砒石对哮喘小鼠胞质型磷脂酶A2基因表达及白三烯C4的影响

目的: 探讨胞质型磷脂酶A₂ (cPLA₂) mRNA 表达、白三烯C4 (TLC₄) 在哮喘发病中的作用及其相互关系, 以及砒石对哮喘的治疗作用。方法: 建立小鼠卵蛋白哮喘模型, 砒石灌胃给药, 用逆转录聚合酶链反应方法检测肺组织中cPLA₂ mRNA 表达;ELISA 方法检测支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF) 中LTC₄ 含量;微量滴定法测定BALF 中PLA₂ 活性。应用新航YP200型压力换能器及Medlab 生物信号采集系统检测小鼠肺功能P_max 和T_呼 /T_总。结果: 哮喘小鼠肺组织cPLA₂ 基因表达水平、BALF 中PLA₂ 活性、LTC₄ 水平均较对照组显著升高。0.625 、1.25 、2.50 及5.00mg·kg^-1剂量的砒石可下调哮喘小鼠cPLA₂mRNA 表达, 抑制哮喘小鼠BALF 中PLA₂ 活性和降低LTC₄水平, 改善哮喘小鼠肺功能。结论: 支气管肺组织中cPLA₂ 基因表达上调、PLA₂ 活性和LTC₄ 水平增高在卵蛋白(OVA) 致敏小鼠哮喘发病中起着重要作用。砒石可显著抑制哮喘小鼠肺组织中cPLA₂ 基因的表达, 降低哮喘小鼠PLA₂ 活性和降低LTC₄ 水平,改善哮喘小鼠肺功能, 具有抗哮喘活性。     

砒石对哮喘小鼠白三烯B4 及5-脂氧合酶基因表达的影响

目的: 探讨白三烯B4 (LTB4) 水平、5-脂氧合酶(5-LO) 基因表达在小鼠哮喘发病中的作用以及砒石(arsenolite, As) 对哮喘的治疗作用与LTB4 水平及5-LO 基因表达的关系。方法: 建立小鼠卵蛋白哮喘模型, 灌胃给予砒石等药, 用ELISA 的方法检测支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF) LTB4 含量;用RT-PCR 的方法检测肺组织中5-LO mRNA 表达的变化。结果: 哮喘小鼠BALF 中LTB4 水平、肺组织5-LO 基因表达水平较正常对照组显著升高。4 种剂量的砒石均可抑制哮喘小鼠BALF 中LTB4 的水平, 均能降低哮喘小鼠5-LO mRNA 表达的量。其中砒石5.00 mg·kg^-1 剂量的效果优于砒石0.625 mg·kg^-1剂量的效果。结论: LTB4 在气道中的高水平, 5-LO 基因表达的上调在OVA 致敏小鼠的哮喘发病中起重要作用。砒石可显著降低哮喘小鼠BALF 中LTB4 水平, 抑制哮喘小鼠肺组织中5-LO 基因的表达, 从而表现出抗哮喘的活性。     

黄芪与绿豆对砒石染毒大鼠的影响

目的:为探讨中药黄芪与绿豆对砒石染毒大鼠毒副作用的拮抗情况及其保护作用与金属硫蛋白(MT) 的关系。方法:用黄芪、绿豆及阳性对照药物氯化镉(CdCl2) 相比较, 运用镉饱和法及RT-PCR 测定肝细胞MT 的量及mRNA 的表达, 并通过检测丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血清肌酐(SCR) 观察其对砒石引起的肾脏、肝脏的保护作用。结果:测的的MT 的量与其mRNA 表达的量具有一致性, 砒石、黄芪、绿豆均能诱导MT 的合成, 单纯砒石诱导MT 的量很少, 增加黄芪、绿豆后表达量明显增加, 黄芪与绿豆共同作用增加更明显(P<0.05) 。结论:黄芪与绿豆对砒石染毒大鼠金属硫蛋白均有影响, 对砒石毒性有一定的拮抗作用。