The protective effect of α7-nACh receptor and its interaction with 5-HT1B/1D receptors in acute intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Protective Effects of Cannabis sativa on chemotherapy-induced nausea in a rat: Involvement of CB1 receptors

Cyclophosphamide is an anticancer and immunosuppressive agent used in the treatment of various malignancies but causing gastrointestinal distress. Cannabis sativa and its derivatives have been used for the treatment of human gastrointestinal disorders. A purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of C. sativa on nausea induced by cyclophosphamide in rats. The rats were divided into four groups (eight animals per group): Group 1: Normal control (saline i.p.). Group 2: Rats received cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg i.p.) 3 consecutive days. Group 3 and 4: Rats received cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg i.p.) across Days 1-7, and C. sativa (20 and 40 mg/kg s.c.) was administered on cyclophosphamide days 4-7. We examined intake of kaolin, normal food and changes in body weight, as an indicator of the emetic stimulus. Oxidative stress markers, antioxidant enzymes status, serotonin (5-HT), dopamine, noradrenaline and CB1R levels were evaluated in the intestinal homogenate. Moreover, histopathological study was performed. Results showed that C. sativa ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced emesis by increasing in body weight and normal diet intake with a decrease in kaolin diet intake after 7 days. Moreover, C. sativa significantly decreases (serotonin) 5-HT, dopamine and noradrenaline, as well as decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation. Administration of C. sativa significantly increased the expression of CB1R in intestinal homogenate. Treatment with C. sativa also improved the histological feature of an intestinal tissue. These results suggested that C. sativa possess antiemetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in chemotherapy-induced nausea in rats by activating CB1R.

Study on the Mechanism and Oxidative Stress of Compound Danshen on the Degradation of Cx43 and Improvement of Myocardial Apoptosis in ICM Rats

In order to investigate the mechanism by which Salvia miltiorrhiza degrades connexin 43 (Cx43) and improves myocardial cell apoptosis and oxidative stress in rats with myocardial ischemia (ICM), male SD rats of pure grade are selected (32 rats), adaptively bred for 1 week, and then bred in SPF medium. They are randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a low-dose Danshen group, and a high-dose group, with 8 rats in each group. HE staining and immunohistochemistry are performed. Serum samples are detected using kits according to instructions, including nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1); malondialdehyde (MDA), ELISA for superoxide dismutase (SOD), and vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM-1); western blot for detection of cardiac Cx43 protein expression; immunohistochemistry to detect Cx43 expression; and detection of myocardial ischemia. For ICM rats, the application of high-dose compound Salvia miltiorrhiza can effectively prevent the degradation of Cx43 protein, improve the apoptosis of myocardial cells in rats, and have a certain protective effect on ischemic myocardium in rats.