Determination of As, Hg and Pb in herbs using slurry sampling flow injection chemical vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
Analysis of herbs for As, Hg and Pb has been carried out using slurry sampling inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with flow injection vapor generation. Slurry containing 0.5% m/v herbal powder, 0.1% m/v citric acid and 2% v/v HCl was injected into the VG-ICP-MS system for the determination of As, Hg and Pb that obviate dissolution and mineralization. Standard addition and isotope dilution methods were used for quantifications in selected herbal powders. This method has been validated by the determination of As, Hg and Pb in NIST standard reference materials SRM 1547 Peach Leaves and SRM 1573a Tomato Leaves. The As, Hg and Pb analysis results of the reference materials agreed with the certified values. The precision obtained by the reported procedure was better than 7% for all determinations. The detection limit estimated from standard addition curve was 0.008, 0.003, and 0.007 ng mL(-1) for As, Hg and Pb, respectively.
Slurry sampling flow injection chemical vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the determination of As, Cd, and Hg in cereals.
A slurry sampling inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method has been developed for the determination of As, Cd, and Hg in cereals using flow injection chemical vapor generation (VG) as the sample introduction system. A slurry containing 6% m/v flour, 0.7% m/v thiourea, 0.4 microg mL(-1) Co(II), and 2.5% v/v HCl was injected into a VG-ICP-MS system for the determination of As, Cd, and Hg without dissolution and mineralization. Because the sensitivities of the elements studied in the slurry and that of aqueous solution were quite different, a standard addition method and an isotope dilution method were used for the determination of As, Cd, and Hg in selected cereal samples. The influences of vapor generation conditions and slurry preparation on the ion signals were reported. The effectiveness of the vapor generation sample introduction technique in alleviating various spectral interferences in ICP-MS analysis has been demonstrated. This method has been applied for the determination of As, Cd, and Hg in NIST SRM 1567a Wheat Flour reference material, NIST SRM 1568a Rice Flour reference material, and cereal samples obtained from local market. The As, Cd, and Hg analysis results of the reference materials agreed with the certified values. The method detection limits estimated from standard addition curves were about 0.10, 0.16, and 0.07 ng g(-1) for As, Cd, and Hg, respectively, in the original cereal samples.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma transactivation-mediated potentiation of glucose uptake by Bai-Hu-Tang.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
The molecular mechanism of a traditional hypoglycemic Chinese herbal formula.


AIM OF THE STUDY
To explore the glucose uptake effect as well as the mechanism(s) of action of Bai-Hu-Tang (BHT), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, composed of anemarrhena, gypsum, licorice and rice.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with vehicle, insulin or insulin plus different concentrations of BHT. The 2-deoxy-[(3)H] glucose uptake assay was performed to measure the amount of glucose uptake. To explore the mechanism(s) of glucose uptake of BHT, we used two insulin signaling transduction inhibitors, N-Acetyl-Leu-Leu-Norleu-al (ALLN), a calpain inhibitor, and LY 294002, a phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase inhibitor, to test if the glucose uptake effect was mediated by the insulin signaling pathway. We then used Western blot analysis to re-confirm the result of the insulin signaling inhibition assay. Finally, reporter chimera assay of HuH-7 cells was used to measure the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) activation by BHT.


RESULTS
BHT potentiated insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The effect of BHT-stimulated glucose uptake was neither inhibited by ALLN nor by LY 294002. The protein expression of PI3 kinase pathway did not change after BHT stimulation. PPARgamma activation was elevated by 67.7+/-32% (p<0.05) in HuH-7 cells treated with 0.8 microg/ml of BHT.


CONCLUSIONS
BHT stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This effect was via PPARgamma activation rather than via the insulin signaling pathway.