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Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most common type of breast cancer, is associated with poor patient prognosis. Platinum-containing chemotherapies are commonly used in the treatment and prevention of advanced TNBC. Objectives and Methods: To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of platinum-containing chemotherapies in patients with advanced TNBC, we searched several databases, including PubMed, Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, and the Chinese Cochrane Center, to collect published randomized controlled clinical studies of platinum-containing chemotherapies for advanced TNBC before November 2020. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager version 5.3. To assess effectiveness and safety, dichotomous and continuous variables were assessed using odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD), respectively, with 95% CI. Results: A total of 1,222 patients with advanced TNBC were enrolled in 11 eligible trials, including 489 patients in the treatment group (platinum-containing) and 447 patients in the control group (non-platinum-containing). We also retrieved information whether a PARP inhibitor was combined with platinum-containing chemotherapy for patients with metastatic TNBC and identified 224 patients who received a PARP inhibitor combined with platinum-containing chemotherapy and 62 patients in the platinum-containing group who did not. The platinum-containing chemotherapy group had a significantly better objective response rate (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.20–1.71, p < 0.001) and longer progression-free survival (PFS; MD 1.15, 95% CI 0.03–2.28, p < 0.05) than the non-platinum-containing chemotherapy group. However, there was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced TNBC between the two groups (MD 2.04, 95% CI –0.83 to 4.91, p > 0.05). Related adverse effects of platinum-containing chemotherapies involved gastrointestinal reaction, myelosuppression and liver function damage. Platinum-containing chemotherapies were not associated with an increased incidence of adverse side effects compared with non-platinum-containing chemotherapies, with the exception of nausea and vomiting (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.10–4.46, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the addition of the PARP inhibitor iniparib to gemcitabine and carboplatin treatment improved the rate of clinical benefit, OS and PFS. Conclusions: Platinum-containing chemotherapy remains a highly recommended therapeutic regimen due to greater effectiveness and tolerance for patients with advanced TNBC.

Background: Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most effective chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. However, it causes dose-related cardiotoxicity that may lead to heart failure in patients. Luteolin (Lut) is a common flavonoid that exists in many types of plants. It has been studied for treating various diseases such as hypertension, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. In this study, we evaluated the cardioprotective and anticancer effects of Lut on Dox-induced cardiomyopathy in vitro and in vivo to explore related mechanisms in alleviating dynamin-related protein (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis.Methods: MTT and LDH assay were used to determine the viability and toxicity of cardiomyocytes treated with Dox and Lut. Flow cytometry was used to examine ROS levels, and electron and confocal microscopy was employed to assess the mitochondrial morphology. The level of apoptosis was examined by Hoechst 33258 staining. The protein levels of myocardial fission protein and apoptosis-related protein were examined using Western blot. Transcriptome analysis of the protective effect of Lut against Dox-induced cardiac toxicity in myocardial cells was performed using RNA sequencing technology. The protective effects of Lut against cardiotoxicity mediated by Dox in zebrafish were quantified. The effect of Lut increase the antitumor activity of Dox in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo were further employed.Results: Lut ameliorated Dox-induced toxicity in H9c2 and AC16 cells. The level of oxidative stress was downregulated by Lut after Dox treatment of myocardial cells. Lut effectively reduced the increased mitochondrial fission post Dox stimulation in cardiomyocytes. Apoptosis, fission protein Drp1, and Ser616 phosphorylation were also increased post Dox and reduced by Lut. In the zebrafish model, Lut significantly preserved the ventricular function of zebrafish after Dox treatment. Moreover, in the mouse model, Lut prevented Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and enhanced the cytotoxicity in triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting proliferation and metastasis and inducing apoptosis.

Background: Olaparib, a potent oral poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, exhibits antitumor activity and prevents the recurrence in advanced ovarian cancer. In this article, we assessed the efficacy and safety of olaparib maintenance therapy on platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutations through a meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to provide more evidence for its clinical applications. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Wanfang, CNKI, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and VIP databases from 1 August 2018 to identify RCTs and finally included four RCTs (seven articles) with 567 eligible participants beyond the participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design regulation. The outcomes of olaparib efficacy including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were measured by HR and 95% CI, while the quality of life was evaluated by calculating the combination of P-value. Seven common adverse events were tested by risk ratio and 95% CI as the outcomes of olaparib safety. These data were analyzed, and the forest figures were produced using Review Manager 5.3. Results: Compared with other interventions (ie, placebo or chemotherapy drugs), olaparib significantly prolonged PFS (HR=0.31, 95% CI=0.15-0.62) and slightly improved OS (HR=0.75, 95% CI=0.56-0.99), but did not influence the quality of life (P=0.058) in the patients with platinum-sensitive BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. Additionally, the toxicity profile of olaparib involved anemia, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea with grade 1-2. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that olaparib maintenance therapy is effective and well-tolerated for the patients with platinum-sensitive BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. More updated RCTs and long-term follow-up should be conducted to compare and analyze the efficacy and toxicity of olaparib at different doses in ovarian cancer patients.

Objective: Rifaximin has been approved for use as a first-line therapy for secondary prophylaxis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). This article is to update existing evidence on efficacy and safety of rifaximin treatment and prevention for HE.Methods: We systematically searched multiple databases until January 31 2021. The studies compared rifaximin vs. placebo or other active drugs (i.e., nonabsorbable disaccharides, other antibiotics, L-ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA), and probiotics) for patients with overt HE (OHE), minimal HE (MHE), and recurrent HE.Results: Twenty-eight randomized controlled trials with a total of 2979 patients were included. Compared with the controls, rifaximin significantly reduced HE grade (OHE: RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02–1.21), improved the cognitive impairments (MHE: RR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.12–2.93) and prevented the risk of HE recurrent episodes (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.18–1.49). No statistical difference was observed in mortality between rifaximin and their controls (RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.54–1.24). The incidence of total adverse events in rifaximin-treated groups was significantly lower than that in the controls during the treatment period (RR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.54–0.98). In addition, rifaximin treatment was better than other active drugs in improving psychometric indicators (mental state, flapping tremor and portosystemic encephalopathy (PSE) index) and reducing the risk of rehospitalization in HE patients.Conclusion: Rifaximin therapy is effective and well-tolerated in different types of HE, which might be recommended as an alternative to conventional oral drugs in clinical settings.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Wenshen Zhuanggu Formula (WSZG) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription used in clinics for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer bone metastases in Longhua Hospital in China. WSZG has been reported to decrease the risk of bone metastases and alleviate the severity of bone lesions in a breast cancer xenograft model. Aim of the study The present study aimed at investigating the pharmacokinetic behaviors of six coumarins in normal and breast cancer bone-metastatic mice following oral administration of WSZG extract. Materials and methods A bone-metastatic mouse model was established by intracardiac injection of MDA-MB-231BO breast cancer cells, and WSZG extract (1.60 g/kg) was given orally to the model and normal mice for 4 weeks. Then, the blood pharmacokinetic parameters of six bioactive components from WSZG (psoralen, isopsoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, osthole, and imperatorin) were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results There were significant differences in pharmacokinetic behaviors between normal and pathological states. Compared with normal mice, the model mice showed significantly increased AUC0–t and AUC0–∞ of the bioactive compounds (P Conclusions The different pharmacokinetic behaviors might be partly ascribed to intestinal functional disorders and imbalance of gastrointestinal microbiota under the morbid state. The findings provide some valuable information to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of this TCM formula.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Jinfukang has long been used for the clinical treatment of lung cancer. Previous studies have shown that Jinfukang can induce the apoptosis of circulating tumor cells by intervening ROS-mediated DNA damage pathway. However, whether Jinfukang can inhibit the metastasis of circulating tumor cells and its mechanism are still unclear. Aim of the study To further investigate the mechanism of Jinfukang in anti-metastasis of lung cancer from the perspective of intervention of tumor exosomes. Materials and methods The invadopodia formation was determined with immunofluorescence. Invasion and migration were detected using the Transwell assay. Ultracentrifugation was used to isolate exosomes. Exosomes were characterized by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and immunoblotting, and the protein profile was evaluated by proteomic analysis. The molecular functions, biological processes and signaling pathway enrichment analysis were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Key differentially expressed proteins were verified by Western blot. Results Jinfukang can inhibit the expression of MMP14, cortactin, Tks5 and the formation of invadopodia of CTC-TJH-01 cells. Furthermore, Jinfukang can significantly inhibit the invasion and migration of CTC-TJH-01 cells. The diameter of exosomes extracted from the CTC-TJH-01 cells treated by Jinfukang was 30–100 nm, and the exosomal markers CD63, CD81 and TSG101 were expressed. We identified 680 deferentially expressed proteins. Gene oncology analysis indicated that exosomes were mostly derived from plasma membrane and mainly involved in protein localization and intracellular signaling. The ingenuity pathway analysis showed that the EGF pathway was significantly inhibited, whereas the GP6 signaling pathway was significantly activated. We also confirmed that Jinfukang inhibited the expression of EGF pathway-related proteins in CTC-TJH-01 cells. Besides, when EGF was used to activate EGF signaling pathway, the inhibition of Jinfukang on CTC cell metastasis was reversed. Conclusion Jinfukang inhibits the metastasis of CTC-TJH-01 cells through the EGF pathway.

In this paper, BaTiO3 platelets are utilized for the first time to incorporate into polymer matrix for energy storage. To improve the dispersibility and compatibility of the BaTiO3 platelets in the composites, a new type of fluoro-polymer poly{2,5-bis[(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-trifluoromethyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PM7F) was designed for the first time to engineer the surface of BaTiO3 platelets by surface-initiated reversible-addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization method. Each structural unit in the molecular chain of this novel modifier contained 14 fluorine atoms, resulting in effectively decreasing the surface energy of BaTiO3 platelets. As a result, the BaTiO3 platelets modified by PM7F were homogeneously dispersed in the polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)) matrix. The permittivities of the nanocomposites were significantly improved compared with the pure polymer matrix. The energy storage density of the nanocomposites was largely enhanced by adding the BaTiO3 platelets. The discharged energy density of the nanocomposite with 15 vol% BaTiO3 platelets was 1.26 J/cm3, which was nearly double to that of pure P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) (0.64 J/cm3) at the same electric field (60 kV/mm). The findings provide an effective modifier and a new routine for high performance capacitors.

Long-alkyl tail triphenylene (TP) side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) with different spacer length (P-m-TP, m = 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, which is the number of carbon atom in the flexible alkyl spacers) have been successfully synthesized via free radical polymerization. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (POM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements were performed to investigate the influence of multiple effects on the self-organization behaviors of P-m-TP, including steric effect, decoupling effect and π-π stacking effect. The experimental results revealed that P-m-TP (m = 2, 3, 4) formed the columnar phase which was developed by the TP moieties and the main chain as a whole, suggesting that the side-chains had strong steric effect even though the number of spacer length (m) exceeded 4. In addition, the clearing points (Tis) of the polymers were above 300 °C. When m = 6 and 8, the polymers displayed hexagonal columnar phase and exhibited the low Tis (91 and 80 °C respectively), originating from the self-assembly of triphenylene due to the decoupling effect and π-π stacking effect. This work offers a viable and inspiring pathway to control the phase transition temperature and phase structure of TP SCLCPs via simply tailoring the spacer length and increasing the alkyl tail length of TP.

Polymer nanocomposites based on conductive fillers for high performance dielectrics have attracted increasing attention in recent years. However, a number of physical issues are unclear, such as the effect of interfacial thickness on the dielectric properties of the polymer nanocomposites, which limits the enhancement of permittivity. In this research, two core-shell structured reduced graphene oxide (rGO)@rigid-fluoro-polymer conducting fillers with different shell thicknesses are prepared using a surface-initiated reversible-addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization method, which are denoted as rGO@PTFMS-1 with a thin shell and rGO@PTFMS-2 with a thick shell. A rigid liquid crystalline fluoride-polymer poly{5-bis[(4-trifluoro-methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PTFMS) is chosen for the first time to tailor the shell thicknesses of rGO via tailoring the degree of polymerization. The effect of interfacial thickness on the dielectric behavior of the P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) nanocomposites with rGO and modified rGO is studied in detail. The results demonstrate that the percolation threshold of the nanocomposites increased from 0.68 vol% to 1.69 vol% with an increase in shell thickness. Compared to the rGO@PTFMS-1/P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) composites, the rGO@PTFMS-2/P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) composites exhibited a higher breakdown strength and a lower dielectric constant, which can be interpreted by interfacial polarization and the micro-capacitor model, resulting from the insulating nature of the rigid-polymer shell and the change of rGO's morphology. The findings provide an innovative approach to tailor dielectric composites, and promote a deeper understanding of the influence of interfacial region thickness on the dielectric performance.

Dielectric nanocomposites incorporating core–shell structured nanoparticles have drawn increasing attention in recent years for energy storage applications. Among the many key factors, the thickness and the chemical structure of the interfacial layer are rarely investigated. This work presents a novel approach to precisely tailor the interfacial layer thicknesses by modulating the polymerization degree of a rigid liquid-crystalline fluoro-polymer. BaTiO3@rigid-fluoro-polymer nanoparticles with a range of interfacial thicknesses were prepared by a surface-initiated reversible-addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization method. The frequency dependent dielectric properties and energy storage capability of dielectric nanocomposites based on a poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) matrix and the modified BaTiO3 nanofiller were investigated. The results demonstrated that the permittivity, breakdown strength and energy density of the polymer nanocomposites were significantly affected by the thickness of the rigid-fluoro-polymer shell around BaTiO3. Moreover, a high discharged energy density of 16.18 J cm−3 was achieved in nanocomposites containing 5 vol% BaTiO3, when the shell thickness was approximately 11 nm. The findings provide a new and innovative approach to prepare dielectric composites with high energy density, and enable a deeper understanding of the influence of the interfacial layer thickness on the dielectric performance.

Interfacial modification is a good approach to improve the dielectric properties of nanocomposites. However, there are few reports to study the influence of interfacial modified thickness. In this study, the graft-from strategy was adopted to introduce the rigid liquid crystalline fluoropolymer (poly[2,5-bis[(4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)-oxycarbonyl]] styrene (PTFMS) onto the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNT). The shell thickness increased from 20 ± 3 to 62 ± 6 nm via controlling the ratio of monomer to the initiator. The results indicated that the dielectric properties of the P(VDF-CTFE) nanocomposites with the modified CNT were significantly enhanced compared with those original CNT, and the maximum dielectric constant of nanocomposites with 1.25 vol% CNT@PTFMS containing the thickest thickness reached 36 at 40 Hz due to the highest micro-capacitors, which was 360% than the neat P(VDF-CTFE). This work provides the perspective to understand the relationship between the shell thickness and dielectric property of polymer nanocomposites based on conductive fillers.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of platycodin D in combination with different active ingredients of Chinese herbs under different therapeutic principles on proliferation and invasion of 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. METHODS The effective doses of platycodin D, Ophiopogon total saponins, curcumenol and osthole in inhibiting proliferation of breast cancer cell lines 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, respectively. Optimized combinations of platycodin D with Ophiopogon total saponins, curcumenol, or osthole were determined by uniform design method. Effects of the optimized combinations of platycodin D with the three ingredients on proliferation and invasion of 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells were verified and evaluated by MTT assay and Transwell chamber test, respectively. RESULTS Verifying study showed that the inhibitory effects of platycodin D in combination with curcumenol or osthole on proliferation of 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells were better than those of platycodin D in combination with Ophiopogon total saponins and each ingredient used alone (P

OBJECTIVE To explore the inhibitory effects and to investigate the mechanisms of combined treatment of osthole, psoralen with aconitine on human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231BO. METHODS The best inhibitory concentration of osthole, psoralen combined with aconitine on MDA-MB-231BO cells was obtained by stepwise regression analysis after adopting a uniform experiment design. The invasive activities were observed by transwell assays, and expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, Smad7, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANK) mRNAs were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The optimal combination concentrations of osthol, psoralen and aconitine were 6.44, 8.89 and 9.44 μg/mL, respectively. Cell invasion was significantly inhibited after 24 hours of treatment using the combination drugs and zoledronic acid. TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, Smad7, NF-κB and RANK mRNA expressions of the optimal combination group and zoledronic acid group were significantly reduced compared with the control group (P

Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy and it frequently metastasizes to bone. Metastatic breast cancer continues to be the primary cause of death for women in East and Southeast Asia. Psoralen is a furocoumarin that can be isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. Psoralen exhibits a wide range of biological properties and has been demonstrated as an antioxidant, antidepressant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral agent. Additionally, it is involved in the formation and regulation of bone. This study investigated whether psoralen can inhibit metastasis of breast cancer to bone in vivo. Histological, molecular biological, and imaging analyses revealed that psoralen inhibits bone metastases in mice. Psoralen may function to inhibit breast cancer cell growth in the bone microenvironment and regulate the function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in tumor-bearing mice. The results of this study suggest that psoralen is a bone-modifying agent and a potential therapeutic to treat patients with bone metastases.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Xie-xin decoction (XXD) has been used as a classic formula in China for the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction such as ulcerative colitis (UC). However, no potential action mechanisms and active compounds had been systematically investigated. Aim of the study To explore the effectiveness and the material basis of XXD in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced UC rats. Materials and methods XXD was administered orally for 8 days at a dosage of 2 or 4 g/kg/day. Plasma pharmacokinetic properties and colon tissue concentrations of multiple compounds from XXD were detected. Tissue damage scores, production of interleukin (IL)-10 and myeloperoxidase (MPO), expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor-kappa Bp65 (NF-κBp65) in colon tissues were examined. Canonical correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships between pharmacokinetics and efficacy to elucidate significantly active compounds of XXD. Results XXD promoted the recovery of colitis and inhibited the colonic inflammation damage in UC rats by reducing the level of MPO and the expression of TNF-α and NF-κBp65, and increasing the production of IL-10 in colon tissues. Efficacy of XXD was positively related with AUC of five plasma compounds (baicalin, berberine, wogonoside, wogonin, and rhein) and concentrations of six colon tissue compounds (coptisine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, berberine, baicalein and emodin), respectively. Conclusions The multiple compounds in plasma and colon tissues from XXD might be the main material basis for therapeutic potentials in UC rats.

In this study, two invasive mammary carcinoma cells (MDA-MB-231 and 4T1) were utilized to evaluate the inhibitory activities of platycodin D, osthole, and the two in combination. The anti-proliferative effect was tested using the MTT and BrdU assay, and the combination of 15μM osthole and 75μM platycodin D was used for subsequent analyses. The anti-invasive effect was evaluated by the transwell assay. The results showed that the combination treatment reduced both cell proliferation and invasion. Western blot and real-time PCR revealed that the platycodin D-osthole combination significantly decreased TβRII, Smad2, Smad3 and Smad4 gene or protein expressions, as well as effectively blocked TGF-β-induced phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3. Thus, this study demonstrates that the anti-cancer effects of the platycodin D-osthole combination in breast cancer cells involve proliferation inhibition and invasion blockade, both of which may be mediated by perturbations in the TGF-β/Smads pathway.

Platycodin D (PD), a major component isolated from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. A sensitive rapid analytical method was established and validated to determine the PD in rat plasma. This method was further applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of PD in rats following administration of a single dose. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) was used in the method, and tubeimoside I was used as the internal standard (IS). A simple protein precipitation based on methanol (MeOH) was employed. The combination of a simple sample cleanup and short chromatographic running time (4 min) increased the throughput of the method substantially. The method was validated over the range of 0.5-1000 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient > 0.99. The lower limit of quantification was 0.5 ng/mL for PD in plasma. Intra- and inter-day accuracies for PD were 90-115 % and 96-108 %, respectively, and the inter-day precision was less than 15 %. After a single oral dose of 10 mg/kg of PD, its mean peak plasma concentration ( CMAX) was 13.7 ± 4.5 ng/mL at 0.5 h. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve ( AUC0-24 H) was 35.4 ± 16.1 h·ng/mL, and the elimination half-life ( T1/2) was 1.48 ± 0.13 h. In case of intravenous administration of PD at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve ( AUC0-24 H) was 2203 ± 258 h · ng/mL, and the elimination half-life (T½) was 6.57 ± 0.70 h. Based on the results, the oral bioavailability of PD in rats at 10 mg/kg is 0.079 %.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Rhizoma coptidis is a traditional Chinese medicine with pharmacological properties. It is usually prescribed with Fructus evodiae as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas. Here we report the influences of Fructus evodiae on the pharmacokinetics of the Rhizoma coptidis alkaloids and propose possible mechanisms. Materials and methods Pharmacokinetic experiments were performed in rats. In vitro absorption experiments were performed in everted rat gut sacs, while in vitro metabolism experiments and determination of hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 mRNA expression were performed in rat liver microsomes. Results Pretreatment with Fructus evodiae extract for two weeks decreased the systemic exposure of the Rhizoma coptidis alkaloids. This effect was not due to inhibition of absorption or enhanced hepatic phase I metabolism of the Rhizoma coptidis alkaloids. However, Fructus evodiae pretreatment enhanced both the activity and expression of hepatic UGT1A1. Conclusions The results showed that Fructus evodiae pretreatment decreased the systemic exposure of the Rhizoma coptidis alkaloids by inducing hepatic UGT1A1.