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The present study was to investigate whether baicalin can prevent repeated exogenous corticosterone injection-induced depressive-like behaviors and explore its possible mechanisms. After a 21-day treatment with baicalin (10 and 20 mg/kg), sucrose preference in the sucrose preference test (SPT) and immobility time in forced swimming test (FST) were observed, serum corticosterone levels and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) contents in the hippocampus were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus. The results showed that 21-day cortiscosterone injections caused depressive-like behaviors in mice, including the reduced sucrose preference and increased duration of immobility. Baicalin reversed these behavioral changes described above and restored serum corticosterone levels. Additionally, baicalin up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and BDNF, accompanied with the down-regulation of serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) in the hippocampus. Moreover, baicalin significantly increased the protein expression of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-2 (11β-HSD2) in the hippocampus. The present results confirmed the antidepressant-like effects of baicalin in a mice model of depression induced by corticosterone and suggested that its mechanism was possibly involved in reducing serum corticosterone and thereby increasing BDNF in the hippocampus.

The cDNAs of two C-type lectins in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, galactose-binding lectin (galbl) and mannose-binding lectin (mbl), were cloned and analysed in this study. Both of them exhibited the highest expression level in liver, whereas their expression pattern differed in early phase of embryonic development. Following exposure to grass carp reovirus (GCRV), the mRNA expression level of galbl and mbl was significantly up-regulated in liver and intestine.

In this study, the subcellular localization, tissue distribution and response to grass carp reovirus (GCRV) infection and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of four grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus toll-like receptor 4 (tlr4) genes were investigated. All four genes were constitutively expressed in all tissues studied, but the subcellular localization and tissue exhibiting the highest expression differed for each protein. Following GCRV infection, all the four tlr4s were upregulated in all tissues examined, and stimulation of C. idellus kidney (CIK) cells with LPS resulted in downregulation of all four tlr4s. These results provide a foundation for further investigation of tlr4 genes in bony fishes.

To assess the merits of polyethylene glycol-modified recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha (PEG-rHuTNF-alpha).The rHuTNF-alpha was modified with N-succinimidyl succinate monomethoxy polyethylene glycol (SS-PEG) of three different molecular weights. The PEG-rHuTNF-alpha was separated into fractions of various molecular weights by gel filtration chromatography. In vitro activities of various fractions were determined with L929 cell assay and in vivo anti-tumor potencies of main fractions were studied with respect to necrosis of S-180 solid tumor.The rHuTNF-alpha could be modified using SS-PEG under mild conditions. The main fraction of PEG5000-rHuTNF-alpha contained four PEG molecules, and PEG12000-rHuTNF-alpha and PEG20000-rHuTNF-alpha contained two PEG molecules, respectively. There was a higher activity when rHuTNF-alpha was coupled to less numbers of the same molecular weight PEG molecules. When PEG-rHuTNF-alpha was of the same molecular weight, rHuTNF-alpha modified with bigger molecular weight PEG molecules had a higher activity. PEG-rHuTNF-alpha was resistant to proteolysis, and over 70 % activity remained after 8 h, but the activity of rHuTNF-alpha was time-dependently diminished by incubation with bovine trypsin. PEG5000-rHuTNF-alpha (1500 IU per mouse) had a similar anti-tumor potency compared with rHuTNF-alpha (3000 IU per mouse). PEG12000-rHuT NF-alpha (1500 IU per mouse) had an increased anti-tumor potency compared with rHuTNF-alpha (3000 IU per mouse). In particular, PEG20000-rHuTNF-alpha at a dose of 1500 IU per mouse had a higher anti-tumor potency than rHuTNF-alpha at a dose of 6000 IU per mouse.PEG-modified rHuTNF-alpha could be more suitable for therapeutic use

To evaluate pharmacokinetic behavior of ipriflavone solid dispersion in rats.The plasma concentrations of ipriflavone in rats were determined by HPLC with UV detector.Plasma concentration-time curves after ig ipriflavone solid dispersion 250 mg.kg-1 in rats were fitted with one-compartment model. Pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: Ke = 0.21 h-1, T1/2Ke = 5.19 h, Ka = 1.71 h-1, T1/2Ka = 0.41 h, Tmax = 0.67 h, Cmax = 429 micrograms.L-1, AUC = 3916 micrograms.h.L-1; The relative bioavailability of ipriflavone solid dispersion was 323%.Ipriflavone in solid dispersion was absorbed more effectively than that in physical mixture in rats.

A simple and sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for determination of ciprofloxacin (Cip) in 0.1 ml of rabbit and human serum and CSF. Separation of Cip and pipemidic acid (internal standard) was achieved on Nucleosil C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm) using fluorescence detection with lambda exc 274 nm and lambda emi 418 nm. The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer 10 mmol.L-1 (pH 2.7) containing tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate 5 mmol.L-1 (18:82, vol:vol) and the flow rate was set at 1.0 ml.min-1. The retention times were 5.9 min for Cip and 4.0 min for pipemidic acid. The inter-day coefficient of variation was6.97% (n = 5) and the intra-day coefficient of variation was3.33% (n = 5). The limits of detection were 3 ng.ml-1 serum and 5 ng.ml-1 CSF, (ror = 0.9996). Application of this method was demonstrated with simultaneous measurements of concentration-time profiles of Cip in rabbit serum and CSF during iv infusions at constant rates of 0.33, 1.0, and 2.5 mg.kg-1.h-1.