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Objective To analyze the active ingredients and the targets of platycodon grandiflorum in the treatment of bronchial asthma based on network pharmacology，and to predict its mechanism of action. Methods The active ingre dients of platycodon grandiflorum were obtained from TCMSP database，the target action points of platycodon platycodon were obtained from Pubchem and Swiss Target prediction databases，and the targets were imported into Cytoscape 3. 6. 2 software；the relational network diagram of the active ingredients and relevant targets were made to obtain the components and targets that played relatively important roles in platycodon grandiflorum. The targets of bronchial asthma were obtained from Threapeutic Target Database（TTD)，Drugbank，DisGeNET，Comparative Toxicogenomics Database（CTD)，Gene⁃ cards，Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man（OMIM)，Genetic Association Database（GAD)，and the databases of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG)，and meanwhile，standardization of protein-gene names was carried out by using Uniport database. We took the intersection of the platycodon grandiflorum targets and the bronchial asthma targets， and removed the repeated ones to obtain the predicted targets of platycodon grandiflorum in the treatment of bronchial asth⁃ma. The predicted targets were imported into the String database to obtain the protein-protein interactions（PPI）network of platycodon grandiflorum in the treatment of bronchial asthma，and the PPI network was visualized by Cytoscape 3. 6. 2 software. The Network Analyzer and cytoHubba plug-ins in the Cytoscape3. 6. 2 software were used to carry out the core target topology of PPI network，and the core targets in the treatment of bronchial asthma were obtained. DAVID database were used to carry out GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis on the core targets. Results A total of 22 effective ingredients of platycodon grandiflorum（including acacetin，luteolin，platycodigenin，etc.)，311 targets of platycodon grandiflorum and 1 551 targets of bronchial asthma were obtained. A total of 137 effective targets were obtained in treatment of bronchial asthma，among which，10 were core targets，including Caspase-3（CASP3)，mitogen-activated protein kinase-3（MAPK3)，epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR)，and matrix metalloproteinase-9（MMP-9），etc. A total of 77 GO items were obtained by GO functional enrichment analysis，including 53 biological processes，13 molecular functions，and 11 cell components，which were in involved in the positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthetic process， positive regulation of protein phosphorylation，positive regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation，etc. A total of 35 KEGG pathways were obtained by KEGG pathway analysis，involving ErbB signaling pathway，mTOR signaling pathway， hypoxia inducible factor-1（HIF-1）signaling pathway，vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF）signaling pathway，and phosphatidylinositol 3-hydroxy kinase-protein kinase（PI3K-Akt）signaling pathway，etc. Conclusion A variety of active ingredients in platycodon grandiflorum，such as acacetin and uteolin，may regulate and control the ErbB，mTOR，HIF-1， VEGF，PI3K-Akt，and MAPK signaling pathways through CASP3，MAPK3，and EGFR targets，have the effect of anti-in⁃ flammation，and inhibit the airway remodeling，and thus improve the symptoms of bronchial asthma and inhibit its process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare the difference of biscyclohexanone oxaldihydrazone (cuprizone)-induced demyelination in female and male mice. Methods Ten male mice and 10 female mice were selected and fed with 0.2% cuprizone for 6 weeks in order to establish the demyelination model. Rotarod test was used to examining motor function of balance and coordination. Luxol fast blue-periodic acid Schiff (LFB-PAS) staining was used to examine the area of demyelination in corpus callosum. The fluorescence intensity of myelin base protein (MBP) in corpus callosum was examined by immunohistochemistry with antibody of MBP. Western blotting was performed to examining the levels of MBP in the brain tissues. Results In the female mice (female group), the running time was (117.60 ± 18.48) s, the times of falling off were 3. 2 ±0. 8, the myelination scores were 2. 20 ± 0. 27, the intensity of MBP was 65. 20 ± 6. 46 and the expression of MBP was 0. 44 ± 0. 06; and those indexes in the male mice (male group) were (90. 80 ± 8. 70) s, 4. 6 ± 0. 9, 1. 70 ± 0. 27, 47. 31± 5. 79, and 0. 27 ± 0. 05. Compared with the female group, the running time was shorter, the times of falling off were more, the myelination score was lower, MBP intensity was lower, and the relative expression of MBP was lower in the male group (all P<0.05). Conclusion In the cuprizone-induced demyelination models, the male mice are more easily to demyelination than the female mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the effects of combined application of non-essential amino acids (NEAA) and β-mercaptoethanol on proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Methods The female rats in the gestational age of 14.5 d were selected and executed to extract NSCs and cultivate. We took 5-7 generations of NSCs to do the experiments. The NSCs cultured were divided into four groups: the control group which was added with 12 μL phosphate buffer solution (PBS), the NEAA group which was added with 10 L NEAA and 2 L PBS, the β-mercaptoethanol group which was added with 2 μL β-mercaptoethanol and10 L PBS, and the NEAA + β-mercaptoethanol group which was added with 10 L NEAA and 2 μL β-mercaptoethanol. The proliferation of NSCs was calculated by cytometry, the proliferation rate of NSCs was detected by MTT, the caspase-3 expression of NSCs was assayed by RT-PCR, and NSCs were identified and examined for the differentiation potential of NSCs into neurons and astrocytes by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with the control group, the proliferation speed and rate of NSCs in the NEAA group were increased, but the caspase-3 mRNA expression of NSCs was decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the proliferation speed and rate of NSCs were increased, but the caspase-3 mRNA expression of NSCs, the percentage of positive ATUJ-1cells, the percentage of positive GFAP cells were decreased and Nestin was increased in the β-mercaptoethanol group and NEAA+ β-mercaptoethanol group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Significant difference was found in each index between the NEAA group and NEAA + β-mercaptoethanol group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the β-mercaptoethanol group, the proliferation speed and rate of NSCs were increased, but the caspase-3 mRNA expression of NSCs was decreased in the NEAA + β-mercaptoethanol group (P<0.05 or P<0.01) Conclusion Both NEAA and β-mercaptoethanol can promote the proliferation of neural stem cells and they have synergistic effect during the combined application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]