Qingnaopian: A Chinese herbal formula in reducing glial fibrillary acidic protein and inflammation in concussion mice

Qingnaopian has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating central nervous system (CNS) injury and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Qingnaopian in concussion mice. C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)/ concussion using the weight-drop techniques. Animal behavioral experiments righting reflex response and locomotor activity were assessed. The expression of pro inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1 and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot method, respectively. SPSS 19.0 software was used for statistical analysis. The results showed that righting reflex time and locomotor activity were higher in model group compared with those in control group. Qingnaopian treated mice had lower pro inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α with alleviated GFAP. In short, Qingnaopian treatment improved GFAP induced by blow to head and inflammatory cytokines in concussion mice.

The formation of 2-chlorobenzamide upon hydrolysis of the benzoylphenylurea insecticide 1-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-3-(4-chlorophenyl) urea in different water systems

It has been reported that 1-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-3-(4-chlorophenyl) urea (CCU), an insect growth regulator, has no measurable toxicity to nontarget organisms and is essentially harmless to humans. However, one of its degradation products, 2-chlorobenzamide (CBA), is suspected of being a carcinogen. Therefore, the maximum concentration of CBA formed and the dynamics of its formation need to be given careful attention after CCU is used in the field. This paper describes the degradation of CCU to form CBA in three different water systems (distilled water, spring water, and simulated seawater) and the effects of temperature on the dynamics of CBA formation. The results indicate that the maximum level of CBA concentration is different in the different systems (highest in spring water) and that the temperature has a significant impact on the process (higher temperature leads to higher and earlier peak of CBA concentration). The maximum concentration of CBA after application of CCU was approximately 3.8% of the initial concentration of CCU at 35 degrees C in distilled water, and 2.4% in spring water at 25 degrees C.

Study on the hydrolysis of 2-chlorobenzamide

It is reported that 2-chlorobenzamide, one of the chief degradation products of CCU (1-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-3-(4-chlorophenyl) urea), a new insect growth regulator, is a potential carcinogen, but few studies about its environmental stability have been found. This paper is concerned with the hydrolysis of 2-chlorobenzamide as part of the environmental study of CCU. The results showed that 2-chlorobenzamide is relatively stable in solutions of pH = 6 and 8, for which the rate constants are 0.00286 h(-)(1) (R = 99.13%, SD = 0. 0095) and 0.00109 h(-)(1) (R = 96.70%, SD = 0.0072), respectively. Hydrolysis was more rapid in acidic (pH = 5), alkaline (pH = 10), and neutral (pH = 7) environments, with hydrolytic rate constants of 0.00417h(-)(1) (R = 95.76%, SD = 0.0390), 0.00411h(-)(1) (R = 99.89%, SD = 0.0162) and 0.00408h(-)(1) (R = 98.29%, SD = 0.0237), respectively. The change of the rate of hydrolysis with pH showed two minima at 25 degrees C. Temperature has some impact on the hydrolysis, showing at higher temperature the larger rate of reaction.