Gentiana macrophylla exhibits a potential therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis (OA) via modulating disease-related proteins

IntroductionProstaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been reported to cause cartilage degradation in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of OA, while p-AKT and p-P39 signaling pathways were reported to be activated in the pathogenesis of OA. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of Gentiana macrophylla (GM) on the treatment of OA.Material and methodsPrimary rat chondrocytes were treated with PBS, IL-1β, and IL-1β+GM respectively to established in vitro models, and in vivo models were set up as a SHAM group, a monoiodoacetic acid (MIA) group, a MIA+GM (low dose) group and a MIA+GM (high dose) group.ResultsIn primary rat chondrocytes, the IL-1β treatment elevated the expression of PGE2 and COX2 mRNA. However, the GM treatment reduced the expression of PGE2 mRNA and COX2 mRNA. Also, the GM treatment reduced the expression of above MMPs in primary rat chondrocytes treated with IL-1β. Moreover, unlike P38 and AKT, GM treatment could reduce the expression of p-P38 and p-AKT in primary rat chondrocytes treated with IL-1β. Also, GM treatment reduced the up-regulated expression of COX2, MMPs including MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13, and p-P38 and p-AKT in OA rat models, thus exhibiting a therapeutic effect on OA pathology.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated the inhibitory effect of GM on the up-regulated expression of PGE2, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), MMPs including MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13, AKT and P38 in OA models, thus verifying the therapeutic effect of GM on the treatment of OA.

Floristic findings in the Maya River basin (Khabarovsk Territory)

The article provides an information about floristic findings in the Maya Aldanskaya River basin. As a result of expeditionary researches, new locations of 25 species and 1 subspecies of vascular plants were revealed, including for the Aldan floristic region – 9 species: Bupleurum scorzonerifolium, Cardamine prorepens, C. macrophylla, Gentiana macrophylla, Linum komarovii, Medicago lupulina, Packera heterophylla, Triglochin maritima, Valeriana alternifolia; for the Maya River valley – 9 species and 1 subspecies: Campanula punctata, Iris laevigata, Leontopodium conglobatum, Linaria acutiloba, Lysimachia thyrsiflora, Micranthes staminosa, Polemonium boreale, Rhodiola rosea, Saxifraga cernua, Hypericum ascyron subsp. gebleri; in the Red Data Books of the Regions and the Russian Federation – 7 species: Aconogonon amgense, Alyssum obovatum, Anemone tamarae, Borodinia macrophylla, Ephedra monosperma, Hedysarum dasycarpum, Saxifraga lactea.

Predicting the current and future distribution of four original plants of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix in China under climate change scenarios

The wild resources of the four original plants (Gentiana crasicaulis Duthie ex Burk, Gentiana daurica Fisch, Gentiana straminea Maxim, and Gentiana macrophylla Pall) of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix are becoming exhausted. Predicting the distribution under current and future climate scenarios is of significance for the sustainable utilization of resources and ecological protection. In this study, we constructed four species distribution models (SDMs) combining species distribution informations, 19 bioclimatic variables, and the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model. The results showed that these 4 plants prefer a cool and humid climate. Under the future climate scenarios, the areas of the highly suitable habitats for Gentiana crasicaulis Duthie ex Burk and Gentiana daurica Fisch were likely to decrease, while Gentiana straminea Maxim was likely to expand, and Gentiana macrophylla Pall was less affected. In addition, the centroids of the highly suitable habitats for the four species shifted north or west. Most notably, most of the highly suitable habitats for the four species remained unchanged, which would be the preferred area for semi-artificial cultivation. The above information in this study would contribute to the development of reasonable strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on the four original plants.