Search

Background: The therapeutic impact of the Wenyang Huoxue (WYXH) formula on coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD) is well established, yet the precise mechanisms are currently not fully understood. This study provides preliminary insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of the formula on CHD by utilizing network pharmacology and molecular docking technology., Materials and Methods: The primary active constituents and their corresponding action targets for the formula were retrieved from the TCMSP database. Utilizing Cytoscape 3.9.1 software, a network linking the components of the formula to their respective targets was constructed. Information was collected from Genecards, OMIM, TTD, and DrugBank databases to identify targets related to CHD. The common targets shared by the formula and CHD were then imported into the STRING database to create a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Following this, enrichment analyses were performed on the shared targets using Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Finally, molecular docking was conducted on the primary active compounds and the core targets., Results: The network encompassing the components and targets of the formula comprises a total of 311 nodes and 895 edges. Compounds exhibiting higher degree centrality consist of quercetin, β-sitosterol, and kaempferol. In the PPI network, proteins with elevated degree centrality are protein kinase B (AKT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3). The results of GO and KEGG enrichment analyses reveal that the biological processes associated with the efficacy of the formula in treating CHD primarily involve positive regulation of gene expression, hypoxia response, and lipopolysaccharide response, among others. The signaling pathways primarily involved include phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT), MAPK3, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and so on. Molecular docking results demonstrate a strong affinity between quercetin, β-sitosterol, and kaempferol with AKT1, EGFR, and MAPK3., Conclusion: We showed for the first time that AKT1, EGFR, and MAPK3 are potential targets influenced by the WYHX formula in CHD treatment. The therapeutic effects could possibly involve signaling pathways such as the PI3K-AKT, MAPK, TNF, and AGE-RAGE pathways.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM) is a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus that leads to cardiac damage in the later stages of the disease, and its pathogenesis is complex, involving metabolic disorders brought about by a variety of aberrant alterations such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, defects in cardiomyocyte Ca~(2+) transporter, and myocardial fibrosis. Currently, there is a lack of specific diagnosis and treatment in the clinic. Autophagy is a highly conserved scavenging mechanism that removes proteins, damaged organelles or foreign contaminants and converts them into energy and amino acids to maintain the stability of the intracellular environment. Inhibition of autophagy can cause harmful metabolites to accumulate in the cell, while over-activation of autophagy can disrupt normal cellular structures and cause cell death. Prolonged high glucose levels disrupt cardiomyocyte autophagy levels and exacerbate the development of DCM. The protective or detrimental effects of autophagy on cells ring true with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi. Autophagy in the physiological state of the removal of intracellular substances and the generation of substances beneficial to the survival of cells is the inhibition of pathogenic Qi to help the performance of healthy Qi, so the organism is healthy. In the early stages of the disease, when autophagy is impaired and incapable of removing waste substances, pathogenic Qi is prevalent; In the later stages of the disease, excessive activation of autophagy can destroy normal cells, leading to a weakening of healthy Qi. Traditional Chinese medicine has the advantage of targeting multiple sites and pathways. Studies in recent years have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine monomers or formulas can target autophagy, promote the restoration of autophagy levels, maintain mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, and reduce oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in order to prevent and control DCM. This study provides a review of the relationship between autophagy and DCM and the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine in autophagy for the treatment of DCM, with a view to providing new clinical ideas and methods for the treatment of DCM with traditional Chinese medicine.

Type 2 diabetes(T2DM) is a metabolic disorder marked by glucose toxicity, lipotoxicity, insulin resistance, and other pathological manifestations, representing a pressing global health concern. Obesity stands out as a pivotal risk factor for T2DM development. When combined with T2DM, obesity exacerbates insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities. The disturbance in the inflammatory microenvironmental balance between adipose and pancreatic islet tissue emerges as a significant contributor to obese with T2DM development. Macrophages play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis and responding to inflammation in adipose and pancreatic islet tissue. Individuals with obese with T2DM exhibit an imbalanced M1/M2 macrophage polarization, contributing to the progression of glycolipid metabolism abnormalities. Hence, restoring the equilibrium of macrophage polarization becomes imperative for obese with T2DM treatment. Scientific researchers have demonstrated that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) therapies can effectively modulate macrophage polarization, offering a viable approach for treating obese with T2DM. In light of the existing evidence, this study systematically reviewed the research progress of TCM targeting the balance of M1/M2 macrophage polarization to ameliorate obese with T2DM, so as to furnish evidence supporting the clinical diagnosis and treatment of obese with T2DM with TCM while also contributing to the exploration of the biological basis of obese with T2DM.

The incidence of male infertility has been increasing year by year, and one of the major causes is testicular spermatogenic epithelial injury, which affects the spermatogenic function of the testis. Ferroptosis is a novel mode of cell death and plays an important role in testicular cell injury. Some traditional Chinese medicines can intervene in the progression of testicular injury by regulating the ferroptosis pathway in testicular spermatogenic epithelia. This paper focuses on the effect of traditional Chinese drugs in regulating the ferroptosis pathway in testicular cells, and summarizes the advances in the studies of traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of testicular spermatogenic epithelial injury, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of relevant medicines and their clinical application.

The present study aimed to explore the main active components and underlying mechanisms of Marsdenia tenacissima in the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro cell experiments. The active components of M. tenacissima were obtained from the literature search, and their potential targets were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction. The OC-related targets were retrieved from Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), GeneCards, and PharmGKB. The common targets of the drug and the disease were screened out by Venn diagram. Cytoscape was used to construct an "active component-target-disease" network, and the core components were screened out according to the node degree. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape, and the core targets were screened out according to the node degree. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of potential therapeutic targets were carried out with DAVID database. Molecular docking was used to determine the binding activity of some active components to key targets by AutoDock. Finally, the anti-OC activity of M. tenacissima extract was verified based on SKOV3 cells in vitro. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was selected for in vitro experimental verification according to the results of GO function and KEGG pathway analyses. Network pharmacology results showed that 39 active components, such as kaempferol, 11α-O-benzoyl-12β-O-acetyltenacigenin B, and drevogenin Q, were screened out, involving 25 core targets such as AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR, and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the main pathway of target protein enrichment. The results of molecular docking also showed that the top ten core components showed good binding affinity to the top ten core targets. The results of in vitro experiments showed that M. tenacissima extract could significantly inhibit the proliferation of OC cells, induce apoptosis of OC cells through the mitochondrial pathway, and down-regulate the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study shows that M. tenacissima has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of OC, which provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the material basis, mechanism, and clinical application.

Gentiana scabra, a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia for the treatment of hepatitis. Its index component gentiopicroside could not be detected in the decoction, which suggested that the quality control of the TCM with this ingredient needs attention. The transformed products were obtained from gentiopicroside, mimicking the traditional process of G. scabra. Further investigation of the heat-transformed products yielded two secoiridoid dimers, gentiovarisin A (1) and B (2), with an unprecedented 6/6/6/6/6-fused pentacyclic skeletons. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and the absolute configurations of 1 were confirmed as (+)-1 and (-)-1 by ECD method. Plausible transformation pathways of the isolates were also proposed. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited in vitro hepatoprotective activity similar to gentiopicroside, while (+)-1 displayed a more potent hepatoprotective activity than N-Acetyl-L-cysteine., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi capsule (FTZ) is a patented preparation of Chinese herbal medicine that has been used to treat hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, and other glucolipid metabolic diseases (GLMDs) in the clinic for almost 10 years. However, how FTZ reduces albuminuria and attenuates diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression is unknown., Aim of the Study: To clarify the effects of FTZ on DKD mice model and to explore the underlying mechanisms., Materials and Methods: We used streptozotocin (STZ) (40 mg/kg/d, i.p. for 5 days, consecutively) combined with a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce a DKD mouse model, followed by FTZ (1, 2 g/kg/d, i.g.) treatment for 12 weeks. Losartan (30 mg/kg/d, i.g.) was used as a positive control. Measurements of 24 h proteinuria, serum creatinine (SCr), fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and expression levels of fibronectin (FN), collagen IV, inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory cells, interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and the nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in the kidney were examined., Results: FTZ effectively decreased 24 h proteinuria, Scr, FBG, TC, TG, and LDL-C levels, inhibited mesangial cell expansion, reduced FN and collagen IV accumulation, and F4/80 + macrophage cell infiltration and Ly-6G + neutrophil infiltration in glomerulus and tubulointerstitium. Furthermore, IL-17A production and the NF-κB signaling pathway were also downregulated after the administration of FTZ., Conclusion: FTZ might attenuate DKD progression, and inhibited kidney inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting the expression of RORγT and IL-17A in vivo, offering novel insights for the clinical application of FTZ., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, a flavonoid extract powder properties-process parameters-granule forming rate prediction model was constructed based on design space and radial basis function neural network(RBFNN) to predict the formability of flavonoid extract gra-nules. Box-Behnken experimental design was employed to explore the mathematical relationships between critical process parameters and quality attributes. The design space of critical process parameters was developed, and the accuracy of the design space was verified by Monte Carlo method(MC). Design Expert 10 was used for Box-Behnken design and mixture design. Scutellariae Radix mixed powder was prepared and its powder properties were measured. The mixed powder was then subjected to dry granulation and the granule forming rate was determined. The correlations between powder properties were analyzed by variance influence factor(VIF), and principal component analysis(PCA) was performed for the factors with strong collinearity. In this way, a prediction model of powder properties-process parameters-granule forming rate was established based on RBFNN, the accuracy of which was evaluated with examples. The results showed that the model had a good predictive effect on the granule forming rate, with the average relative error of 1.04%. The predicted value and the measured value had a high degree of fitting, which indicated that model presented a good prediction ability. The prediction model established in this study can provide reference for the establishment of quality control methods for Chinese medicinal preparations with similar physical properties.

Objective: To analyze the potential action mechanism of Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation based on network pharmacology., Methods: The TCMSP database was searched for the main chemical constituents of Euryale and golden cherry, the core components of Shuilu Erxian Dan. Oral bioavailability and medicinal properties were set as the parameters for screening active components, premature ejaculation-related disease targets retrieved from the DisGeNET, GeneCards, OMIM and TTD databases, the common targets of drug pairs and diseases identified with the Wayne diagram, and a drug-active ingredient-target-disease network map constructed with the software Cytoscape. A PPI network map designed through the STRING platform, the website Metascape used for GO and KEGG analyses of the common targets, and the protein receptors and small molecular ligands of the core genes employed for molecular docking and PyMOL visualization., Results: A total of 7 chemical constituents and 171 predictive targets, 1 918 premature ejaculation targets and 113 common targets were identified. GO analysis showed significant enrichment of BP in response to toxic substances and inorganic substances, CC in membrane raft and plasma membrane protein complex, and MF in transcription factor binding and kinase binding. KEGG analysis manifested markedly enriched TNF signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway and Cocaine addiction. The results of molecular docking exhibited a good binding energy between the core gene and the component., Conclusion: Network pharmacology has revealed the potential action mechanism of Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation, which has paved the theoretical ground for verification of the effectiveness of Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation via animals and cells.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of Jujing Decoction combined with lipoic acid in the treatment of asthenospermia and teratospermia., Methods: Fifty patients with asthenospermia and teratospermia meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a blank control (n = 10) and a medication group (n = 40), the former provided with fertility guidance and the latter treated with Jujing Decoction combined with lipoic acid. After 12 weeks of treatment, the clinical therapeutic effects were evaluated by comparing the semen volume, sperm concentration, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and morphologically abnormal sperm (MAS), rate of acrosome integrity, sperm DNA fragment index (DFI) and pregnancy rate between the two groups., Results: Compared with the control group, the medication group achieved a significantly higher overall effectiveness rate (10% ［1/10］ vs 88.89% ［32/36］, P < 0.05) and pregnancy rate (0% ［0/10］ vs 8.33% ［3/36］, P < 0.05) after treatment. The medication group also showed remarkably increased PMS from (21.04 ± 6.49)% to (32.66 ± 7.05)%, decreased MAS from (98.31 ± 1.28)% to (96.52 ± 1.11)%, elevated acrosome integrity from (42.18 ± 16.67)% to (60.42 ± 11.61)%, and reduced sperm DFI from (21.92 ± 6.96)% to (12.37 ± 3.79)%, all with statistically significant differences compared with the blank control group., Conclusion: Jujing Decoction combined with lipoic acid can significantly improve sperm motility, reduce MAS and DFI and increase the pregnancy rate through antioxidant stress, and has a high clinical safety.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Polygoni Multiflori Radix, the dried root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., and its processed products have been used as restoratives for centuries in China. However, the reports of Polygoni Multiflori Radix-induced liver injury (PMR-ILI) have received wide attention in recent years, and the components and mechanism of PMR-ILI are not completely clear yet. Our previous studies found that the PMR-ILI was related to the down-regulation of some drug metabolism enzymes (DME)., Aim of the Study: To explore the effect of the inhibition of CYP3A4 or UGT1A1 on PMR-ILI, screen the relevant hepatotoxic components and unveil its mechanism., Methods: RT-qPCR was used to detect the effects of water extract of Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR) and its main components on the mRNA expression of CYP3A4 and UGT1A1 in human hepatic parenchyma cell line L02. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to detect the content of major components in the PMR. And then, the stable CYP3A4 or UGT1A1 knockdown cells were generated using short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) in L02 and HepaRG cells. Hepatotoxic components were identified by cell viability assay when PMR and its four representative components, 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy stilbene glycoside (TSG), emodin (EM), emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside (EG), and gallic acid (GA), acted on CYP3A4 or UGT1A1 knockdown cell lines. The PMR-ILI mechanism of oxidative stress injury and apoptosis in L02 and HepaRG cells were detected by flow cytometry. Finally, the network toxicology prediction analysis was employed to excavate the targets of its possible toxic components and the influence on the metabolic pathway., Results: PMR and EM significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of CYP3A4 and UGT1A1 in L02 cells, while TSG and GA activated the mRNA expression of CYP3A4 and UGT1A1, and EG activated CYP3A4 expression while inhibited UGT1A1 expression. The contents of TSG, EG, EM and GA were 34.93 mg/g, 1.39 mg/g, 0.43 mg/g and 0.44 mg/g, respectively. The CYP3A4 or UGT1A1 knockdown cells were successfully constructed in both L02 and HepaRG cells. Low expression of CYP3A4 or UGT1A1 increased PMR cytotoxicity remarkably. Same as PMR, the toxicity of EM and GA increased in shCYP3A4 and shUGT1A1 cells, which suggested EM and GA may be the main components of hepatotoxicity in PMR. Besides, EM not only inhibited the expression of metabolic enzymes but also reduced the cytotoxicity threshold. EM and GA affected the level of ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential, Ca 2+ concentration, and dose-dependent induced hepatocyte apoptosis in L02 and HepaRG cells. The network toxicology analysis showed that PMR-ILI was related to drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, glutathione metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis., Conclusion: The inhibition of mRNA expression of CYP3A4 or UGT1A1 enhanced hepatotoxicity of PMR. EM and GA, especially EM, may be the main hepatotoxic components in PMR. The mechanism of PMR, EM and GA induced hepatotoxicity was proved to be related to elevated levels of ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential, Ca 2+ concentration, and induction of apoptosis in liver cells., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: To compare the efficacy and safety of PSORI-CM01 granules with Yinxieling tablets in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP), we plan to conduct a multicentre, randomized, double-blinded, double-dummy, controlled trial. This pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility and the potential of the protocol for the full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT)., Methods: This pilot study was conducted in three centers, and compared PSORI-CM01 granules with Yinxieling tablets in patients with CPP during a 12-week treatment and 3-month follow-up period. The primary efficacy endpoint was the decrease of the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) at week 12. The secondary outcome measures included reduction rates of PASI, pruritus scores on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), body surface area (BSA), and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Safety was assessed via the incidence of adverse events (AEs) in each treatment group., Results: A total of 211 patients were screened, and 63 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were randomised to PSORI-CM01 granule group (N=31) or Yinxieling tablets group (N=32) while 39 subjects finished the study. The primary outcome measure showed a mean decrease of PASI of 2.03 in the PSORICM01 group compared to 0.89 in the Yinxieling group at week 12. Except for the VAS score (t=-2.261, P=0.027), the secondary outcomes showed no significant improvement from baseline in both groups at week 12. No safety or tolerability concerns related to the drugs were observed in either group., Conclusions: This pilot study showed that the RCT is feasible for randomization, patient recruitment, and assessment. Major strategies are necessary to reduce the patient dropout rate before conducting the full RCT. In this pilot study, the PSORI-CM01 granule exhibited greater potential for development compared to its original formula (Yinxieling tablets) for the treatment of CPP.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been widely used as an approach worldwide. Chinese Medicines (CMs) had been used to treat and prevent viral infection pneumonia diseases for thousands of years and had accumulated a large number of clinical experiences and effective prescriptions., Aim of the Study: This research aimed to systematically excavate the classical prescriptions of Chinese Medicine (CM), which have been used to prevent and treat Pestilence (Wenbing, Wenyi, Shiyi or Yibing) for long history in China, to obtain the potential prescriptions and ingredients to alternatively treat COVID-19., Materials and Methods: We developed the screening system based on data mining, molecular docking and network pharmacology. Data mining and association network were used to mine the high-frequency herbs and formulas from ancient prescriptions. Virtual screening for the effective components of high frequency CMs and compatibility Chinese Medicine was explored by a molecular docking approach. Furthermore, network pharmacology method was used to preliminarily uncover the molecule mechanism., Results: 574 prescriptions were obtained from 96,606 classical prescriptions with the key words to treat "Warm diseases (Wenbing)", "Pestilence (Wenyi or Yibing)" or "Epidemic diseases (Shiyi)". Meanwhile, 40 kinds of CMs, 36 CMs-pairs, 6 triple-CMs-groups existed with high frequency among the 574 prescriptions. Additionally, the key targets of SARS-COV-2, namely 3CL hydrolase (Mpro) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2), were used to dock the main ingredients from the 40 kinds by the LigandFitDock method. A total of 66 compounds components with higher frequency were docked with the COVID-19 targets, which were distributed in 26 kinds of CMs, among which Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma), HuangQin (Scutellariae Radix), Dahuang (Rhei Radix Et Rhizome) and Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix) contain more potential compounds. Network pharmacology results showed that Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma) and HuangQin (Scutellariae Radix) CMs-pairs could also interact with the targets involving in immune and inflammation diseases., Conclusions: These results we obtained probably provided potential candidate CMs formulas or active ingredients to overcome COVID-19. Prospectively, animal experiment and rigorous clinic studies are needed to confirm the potential preventive and treat effect of these CMs and compounds., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to establish an HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of 6 main components, including chlorogenic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid,3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid,4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, pellitorine and neopellitorine B in Achil-leae Herba. HPLC analysis was performed on a Merck Purospher STAR RP-18 endcapped(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), with a mobile phase consisting of 0.05% phosphoric acid solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) at a flow rate of 1 mL·min~(-1)(0-7 min,12%-14% B;7-10 min,14%-17% B;10-25 min,17%-22% B;25-35 min,22%-35% B;35-51 min,35%-80% B;51-60 min,80%-90% B). The detection wavelength was 254 nm and the column temperature maintained at 30 ℃, and the injection volume was 5 μL. The standard curves revealed a good linear relationship. The contents of 6 components were 0.404%-2.116% for chlorogenic acid, 0.160%-0.892% for 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 0.608%-1.464% for 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 0.168%-0.868% for 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 0.122%-1.234% for pellitorine, 0.065%-0.312% for neopellitorine B, respectively. Both cluster and principal component analysis can distinguish the research data in anthesis and pre-anthesis by software Chempattern. There were obviously differences in the different harvest time. Therefore, attention should be paid to the harvesting time of the herb. The method can be used to determine the contents of six main components, and can provide reference for the improvement of quality standard of Achilleae Herba.

To study the correlation between toxicity and efficacy of different processed Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix productsin industrial production, in order to define the optimal processing method for "attenuation-preservation effects". The HPLC method was used to determine the content of six aconitine alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and its different processed products. The Bliss method was used to determine the half-lethal dose(LD&#95;(50)) or the maximum dose of Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and its different processed products in mice. The toluene-induced ear swelling method and the acetic acid twist method were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of different processed products. The results showed that: ① the total amount of diester alkaloids incrude Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix was 0.358 8%; the total amount of diester alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix prepared by pharmacopoeia-based boiling method was 0.002 2%, and the total amount of monoester alkaloids was 0.036 2%; the total amount of diester alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix produced by atmospheric steaming method was 0.006 0%, and the total amount of monoester alkaloids was 0.056 7%; ② the LD&#95;(50) of Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix was 5.4 g·kg~(-1),and the maximum dose of processed products by two methods were 133.34 g·kg~(-1); pathological observation showed that compared with the normal group, the two kinds of processed products of Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix had certain damage to the heart, liver and kidney; ③products processed by pharmacopoeia-based boiling method and atmospheric steaming method had anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects(P<0.01 or P<0.05). The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects were as follows: the atmospheric steaming method was superior to the pharmacopoeia-based boiling method. The above results suggest that the crude Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radixis more toxic. The atmospheric steaming method can significantly reduce the toxicity, while retaining its good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which is significantly better than the pharmacopoeia-based boiling method. The atmospheric steaming process is simple and easy to operate, and suitable for industrial production.

This work aims to establish an HPLC specific chromatogram and determine six components of Vernonia anthelmintica with chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid B, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid C, scutellarein and luteolin as index components. HPLC analysis was performed on a Waters Xbridge C&#95;(18) column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) with gradient elution of acetonitrile-0.05% trifluoroacetic acid solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min~(-1). The detection wave length was 360 nm and the column temperature was 30 ℃. Chemometrics software Chempattern was employed to analyze the data. HPLC specific chromatogram of V. anthelmintica was established and six characteristic peaks were marked. Six characteristic peaks were simultaneously determined by HPLC within 50 min. The contents of the six components in 13 batch samples of V. anthelmintica were 0.14%-0.68%, 0.44%-0.74%, 0.63%-1.01%, 0.14%-0.71%, 0.15%-0.26% and 0.010%-0.030%, respectively. The HPLC specific chromatogram of V. anthelmintica, together with determination of six components showed strong specificity, and it can be used for the quality control of the crude drug.

Objective: To investigate the relation of blood arsenic concentration (BAC) with clinical effect and safety of arsenic-containing Qinghuang Powder (, QHP) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)., Methods: Totally 163 patients with MDS were orally treated with QHP for 2 courses of treatment, 3 months as 1 course. The BACs of patients were detected by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry at 1, 3, and 6 months during the treatment, and the effective rate, hematological improvement and safety in patients after treatment with QHP were analyzed., Results: After 2 courses of treatment, the total effective rate was 89.6% (146/163), with 31.3% (51/163) of hematological improvement and 58.3% (95/163) of stable disease. The hemoglobin increased from 73.48 ± 19.30 g/L to 80.39 ± 26.56 g/L (P<0.05), the absolute neutrophil count increased from 0.81 ± 0.48 × 10 9 /L to 1.08 ± 0.62 × 10 9 /L (P<0.05), and no significant changes were observed in platelet counts (P>0.05). Among 46 patients previously depended on blood transfusion, 28.3% (13/46) completely got rid of blood transfusion and 21.7% (10/46) reduced the volume of blood transfusion by more than 50% after treatment. The BACs were significantly increased in patients treated for 1 month with 32.17 ± 18.04 μ g/L (P<0.05), 3 months with 33.56 ± 15.28 μ g/L (P<0.05), and 6 months with 36.78 ± 11.92 μ g/L (P<0.05), respectively, as compared with those before treatment (4.08 ± 2.11 μ g/L). There were no significant differences of BACs among the patients treated for 1, 3 and 6 months (P>0.05). The adverse reactions of digestive tract during the treatment were mild abdominal pain and diarrhea in 14 cases (8.6%), and no patients discontinued the treatment. The BACs of patients with gastrointestinal adverse reactions were significantly lower than those without gastrointestinal adverse reactions (22.39 ± 10.38 vs. 37.89 ± 11.84, μ g/L, P<0.05). The BACs of patients with clinical effect were significantly higher than those failed to treatment (40.41 ± 11.69 vs. 23.84 ± 12.03, μ g/L, P<0.05)., Conclusion: QHP was effective and safe in the treatment of patients with MDS and the effect was associated with BACs of patients.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between gene mutations and response to Compound Qinghuang Powder (, CQHP) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)., Methods: Forty-three MDS patients were genotyped by ultra-deep targeted sequencing and the clinical data of patients were collected and the relationship between them was analyzed., Results: Up to 41.86% of patients harbored genet mutations, in most cases with more than one mutation. The most common mutations were in SF3B1, U2AF1, ASXL1, and DNMT3A. After treatment with CQHP, about 88.00% of patients no longer required blood transfusion, or needed half of prior transfusions., Conclusions: CQHP is an effective treatment for patients with MDS, especially those with gene mutations in SF3B1, DNMT3A, U2AF1, and/or ASXL1.

The traditional Chinese medicine standard decoction is prepared on the basis of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine and clinical application. With reference to the modern extraction method,the single decoction of traditional Chinese medicine is prepared by the standardized process,and the establishment of its quality standards is conducive to standardizing clinical medication. This research is to set an evaluation standard for the quality of salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus standard decoction. Twelve batches of salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus standard decoctions were prepared. The contents of psoralen and isopsoralen were determined,the transfer and extract rates were calculated,and the pH value was measured; HPLC fingerprint method was established for analysis. The results of the 12 batches of samples revealed that the transfer rates of psoralen and isopsoralen were 17. 10%-26. 40%,14. 70%-22. 70%,respectively; the extract rate was between 14. 7%-27. 0%,and the pH value was between 5. 4-6. 9. Moreover,7 common chromatographic peaks were determined based on fingerprint by using similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine( 2012 A).The similarities of the 12 batches of samples were analyzed and compared,and the results showed that the similarities were all higher than0. 9. In this study,the preparation method for salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus decoction was standard,with high similarities in fingerprint. This study build a convenient and reliable method of comprehensive quality evaluation,with a high precision,stability and repeatability,which can provide a reference for the quality control of salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus dispensing granules.

To construct a quality management model for the whole industry chain of compound Danshen Tablets,and quality control system for all key links in the production of compound Danshen Tablets. In this paper,with salvianolic acid B as internal reference substance,three batches of mix standards were prepared,and three sets of relative correlation factors between salvianolic acid B and other phenolic acids were calculated in parallel. Finally,the correlation factors are obtained on average. The quality transfer process was studied by optimizing the concentration of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract. The results showed that RSD among three sets of relative correlation factors ranged between 1. 7%-4. 1%,with no significant difference between the quantitative result of two methods. In addition,the quality transfer study showed that with the rise of the concentration temperature,the content of phenolic acid components changed,which had a significant effect on the salvianolic acid B at more than 80 ℃. It was suggested to rationally control the concentration temperature during the industrial production. The results of this study provide a methodology for the establishment of the quality control system for the whole industry chain of compound Danshen Tablets,and quality control methods for the improvement of the quality of medicinal materials and finished medicine products.

Background : Fangjing decoction is a Traditional Chinese Medicine that exhibits anticonvulsive effects in treating febrile seizures (FS). Its action mechanism and the regulation on Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway were revealed in the present study. Methods : FS model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats with or without Fangjing decoction treatment. On day 5, following initiation of drug treatment, seizures were monitored. Hippocampal neuron apoptosis was assessed using terminal dUTP nick end-labeling method. The levels of Bax, protein kinase B (Akt), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), mTOR, and p-mTOR proteins were analyzed using Western blotting. The content of hippocampal γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was measured by using ELISA assay. Results : Compared with the control group ( n =8), Fangjing decoction effectively prolonged the latency but shortened the duration of FS in rats ( n =8). Concomitantly, the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, as well as Bax protein levels were also decreased in FS rats which were treated with Fangjing decoction. In addition, the Akt/mTOR signaling was found to be activated in rat hippocampus following FS, as evidenced by increased p-Akt and p-mTOR, while Fangjing decoction could inhibit the activation of Akt/mTOR signaling. Furthermore, the low GABA content in rat hippocampus following FS was significantly elevated by Fangjing decoction treatment. More importantly, SC79, a specific activator for Akt, apparently attenuated the protective effects of Fangjing decoction on FS rats. Conclusion : These results suggest that Fangjing decoction protects the hippocampal neurons from apoptosis by inactivating Akt/mTOR pathway, which may contribute to mitigating FS-induced brain injury., (© 2018 The Author(s).)

Head Space/Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (HS-SPME) coupled with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) was used to determine the volatile/heat-labile components in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort - Cyperus rotundus rhizomes. Facing co-eluting peaks in k samples, a trilinear structure was reconstructed to obtain the second-order advantage. The retention time (RT) shift with multi-channel detection signals for different samples has been vital in maintaining the trilinear structure, thus a modified multiscale peak alignment (mMSPA) method was proposed in this paper. The peak position and peak width of representative ion profile were firstly detected by mMSPA using Continuous Wavelet Transform with Haar wavelet as the mother wavelet (Haar CWT). Then, the raw shift was confirmed by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) cross correlation calculation. To obtain the optimal shift, Haar CWT was again used to detect the subtle deviations and be amalgamated in calculation. Here, to ensure there is no peaks shape alternation, the alignment was performed in local domains of data matrices, and all data points in the peak zone were moved via linear interpolation in non-peak parts. Finally, chemical components of interest in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort - Cyperus rotundus rhizomes were analyzed by HS-SPME-GCMS and mMSPA-alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD) resolution. As a result, the concentration variation between herbs and their pharmaceutical products can provide a scientific basic for the quality standard establishment of traditional Chinese medicines., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Notopterol, isoimperatorin, volatile oil and extract （water and ethanol) were used as the research objects in this study to investigate the effects of different softening method, slice thickness and drying methods on the quality of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices, and the experimental data were analyzed by homogeneous distance evaluation method. The results showed that different softening, cutting and drying processes could affect the content of five components in Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix incisum. The best processing technology of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices was as follows: non-medicinal parts were removed; mildewed and rot as well as moth-eaten parts were removed; washed by the flowing drinking water; stacked in the drug pool; moistening method was used for softening, where 1/8 volume of water was sprayed for every 1 kg of herbs every 2 h; upper part of herbs covered with clean and moist cotton, and cut into thick slices (2-4 mm) after 12 h moistening until appropriate softness, then received blast drying for 4 h at 50 ℃, and turned over for 2 times during the drying. The process is practical and provides the experimental basis for the standardization of the processing of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, with great significance to improve the quality of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Study on the standardization of Chinese materia medica is an important action for modernization and globalization for traditional Chinese medicine. Standardization on the processing of Chinese herbal pieces is an important part in the study on standardization of Chinese materia medica, so it is of great significance to establish the technical processing standards of Angelicae Sinensis Radix pieces for improving its quality. In this study, single factor experiment was designed to optimize the softening, cutting and drying processes of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. With ferulic acid, Angelicae Sinensis Radix polysaccharide, volatile oil and extracts (water and ethanol) content as the quality index, the effects of different softening, cutting and drying processes on the contents of the five components in Angelicae Sinensis Radix were analyzed, and the normalized distance evaluation method was used to analyze the experimental data. The results showed that the content of five components in Angelicae Sinensis Radix was affected by different softening methods and drying temperature, but the thickness of slice had little effect on the content. The best preparation process for Angelicae Sinensis Radix was as follows: Non-medicinal parts were removed; mildewed and rot as well as moth-eaten parts were removed; washed by the flowing drinking water; stacked in the drug pool; moistening method was used for softening, where 125 mL water was sprayed for every 1 kg of herbs every 2.5 h; upper part of herbs covered with clean and moist cotton, and cut into thin slices (1-2 mm) after 15 h moistening until appropriate softness, with disk thickness of 1-2 cm, then received blast drying for 6 h at 55 ℃, and turned over for 2 times during the drying., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, has high morbidity and mortality rates, and its prognosis is poor. The treatment options of HCC are limited by the lack of effective chemotherapy. Therefore, looking for effective drugs with little toxicity is very urgent. The aim of this study was to search for small molecule targeting on liver cancer from Juglans mandshurica, which has been used to treat cancers for a long time in China. Under the guide of anti-hepatoma activity, a new coumarin (1), together with eight reported analogs (2‒9), was isolated from the 75% EtOH extract. The structures of these compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The in vitro cytotoxicity experiments on two liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) showed that compounds 2 and 5 had moderate antitumor activities on both cell lines. And further studies of antitumor mechanisms by the observation of morphological changes and Western blot analyses exhibited that induction of apoptosis might be a possible way that inhibited cell growth.

Plant-derived natural products have been the highly significant sources of novel antitumor agents. The cassane-type diterpenes of genus Caesalpinia have been reported to bear antiproliferative activities toward different types of cancer cells. In this study, we evaluated the antineoplasmic activities of 16 natural origin cassane-type diterpenes isolated from the CHCl 3 extract of the seeds of C. minax in pituitary adenomas cells and identified caesalpin G (CAG) showed the strongest cytotoxicity. Moreover, we further investigated the structure-activity relationship and molecular mechanism of these derivatives systematically. The results confirmed the unsaturated lactone-type ring, hydroxyl at C-7, and alkenyl at C-11 or C-14 functionality as critical for anticancer activity in this family of natural products. In addition, the mechanism experiments also demonstrated unfolded protein response and ER stress and Wnt/β-catenin pathway were involved in the CAG-induced apoptosis.

Objective To observe the effect of Heixiaoyao Powder (HP) on gene microarray profile of hippocampus in Aβ₂₃₋₃₅ fragments induced Alzheimer's disease rat model. Methods Female SD rats were chosen to establish AD model by injecting Aβ₂₅₋₃₅ amyloid into hippocampus ,and then they were divid- ed into 6 groups, i.e., the sham-operation group, the model group,the Western medicine (WM) group, high, middle, and low dose HP groups, 14 in each group. After 7 days of modeling, all rats were administered with respective solution at the daily dose of 3 mL/kg by gastrogavage for 28 successive days. Normal saline was administered to rats in the sham-operation group and the model group. Huperzine A Tablets wa- ter solution was administered to rats in the WM group at the daily dose of 0. 02 mL/kg. HP at the daily dose of 4. 25, 8. 50, 17. 00 g/kg was administered to rats in the low, middle, high HP groups. All rats were sacri- ficed after ending gastrogavage, and their hippocampal tissues were collected to extract tissue RNA. Rat gene microarray was used to screen differentially expressed genes, and then differentially expressed genes with partial dose-dependently changing obtained by microarry were verified by qRT-PCR. Results Compared with the sham-operation group, 538 genes were up-regulated, and 579 genes were down-regulated in the model group. mRNA expressions of wisp1 , crebbp, igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 increased, while mRNA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 decreased in the model group (P <0. 05). Compared with the model group, 276 genes were up-regulated, and 170 genes were down-regulated in the 3 HP groups. Of them, 71 up-regulated genes dose-dependently and 70 down-regulated genes dose-dependently. mRNA expressions of igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased, while mRNA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 in- creased in the WM group (P <0. 01). mRNA expressions of wisp1 , crebbp, igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased, while mRNA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 increased in the high dose HP group (P <0. 01). mRNA expressions of crebbp, igfbp-1, znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased (P <0. 01, P <0. 05), while mR- NA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 increased in the middle dose HP group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). mRNA ex- pressions of igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased in the low dose HP group (P <0. 01). Compared with the middle dose HP group, mRNA expressions of crebbp, zfp37, and zic4 increased (P <0.01) , mR- NA expressions of igfbp-1 and bcl-2 decreased in the middle dose HP group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05); mRNA expressions of crebbp, znf483, and zfp37 increased (P <0. 01, P <0. 05), mRNA expressions of igfbp-1, zic4, and bcl-2 decreased in the low dose HP group (P <0. 01). Compared with the middle HP group, mRNA expressions of casq2, zic4, and bcl-2 decreased in the low dose HP group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Conclusion HP could affect the occurrence of AD by regulating mRNA expressions of zfp37, znf483, and zic4, and af- fect the metabolism of Aβ and abnormal phosphorylation of Tau protein by inhibiting wnt signal pathway re- lated genes such as wisp-1 , crebbp, igfbp-1 , and casq2.

Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum (GLPs) have been taken as effective supplements by both healthy people and cancer patients for many years. However, this short survey indicates that instead of inhibiting cancer cell growth, both submerge-cultured intracellular GLP and fruiting body GLP can stimulate the growth of human carcinoma cell lines lacking functional p53, such as HCT-116 p53(-/-), Saos-2, H1299, HL-60, MDA-MB-157. Conversely, the two GLPs inhibit all other assayed cells with functional p53. These results could be an alert since mutational inactivation of the tumor suppressor protein p53 is the most frequent genetic alteration found in human tumors.

Axonal regeneration might contribute to the restoration of damaged neuronal networks and improvement of memory deficits in a murine Alzheimer's disease (AD) model. A search for axonal regenerative drugs was performed to discover novel therapeutic options for AD. In this study, an aqueous extract of Drynaria fortunei rhizomes reversed Aβ25-35-induced axonal atrophy in cultured cortical neurons of mice. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract led to the isolation and identification of compounds 1-5. Among them, (2S)-neoeriocitrin (2) and caffeic acid 4-O-glucoside (4) showed significant axonal elongation effects on Aβ25-35-induced atrophy.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a standard treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD). Restenosis, defined as a 50% reduction in luminal diameter at six months after PCI, indicates a need for revascularisation. Restenosis has proven to be a major drawback to PCI. Tong-xin-luo is one of the prophylactic strategies for cardiovascular events in patients after PCI that is widely used in China, but its efficacy and safety have not been systematically evaluated., Objectives: To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of Tong-xin-luo capsules in preventing cardiovascular events after PCI in patients with CHD., Search Methods: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), WanFang, Chinese Biomedical Database, Chinese Medical Current Contents, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from their inception to June 2014. We also searched other resources, including ongoing trials and research registries. We applied no language restrictions., Selection Criteria: Randomised controlled trials of participants with CHD after PCI were included. Participants in the intervention group received Tong-xin-luo capsules for at least three months., Data Collection and Analysis: Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Any disagreements were resolved by discussion with a third review author. The primary outcomes included occurrence of angiographic restenosis and adverse events; the secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, heart failure, angina, all cause mortality, mortality due to any cardiovascular event, use of revascularisation, patient acceptability, quality of life and cost-effectiveness. Dichotomous data were measured with risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Main Results: Sixteen studies involving 1063 participants were identified. The risk of bias for fifteen studies was high and along with imprecision and possible publication bias, this lowered our confidence in the results. There was low quality evidence that Tong-xi-luo reduced the rates of angiographic restenosis (RR 0.16, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.34), myocardial infarction (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.66), heart failure (RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.62), and use of revascularisation (RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.45). There was very low quality evidence for the effect of Tong-xin-luo on all-cause mortality (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.06 to 2.56), angina (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.34) and death due to any cardiovascular event (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.12). Adverse events were seldom reported, and included gastrointestinal reactions and nausea., Authors' Conclusions: The addition of Tong-xin-luo to conventional Western medicine may possibly prevent restenosis and recurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with CHD after PCI. However, the data are limited by publication bias and high risk of bias for included studies. Further high-quality trials are required to evaluate the potential effects of this intervention.

Seven hexahydrobenzophenanthridine-type alkaloids, Ambiguanine A-G, along with eight known alkaloids, were isolated from tubers of Corydalis ambigua var. amurensis. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses, with absolute configurations determined by CD experiments., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate effects of Danhong Huayu Koufuye (DHK), insulin and their combination on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) in streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg, ip)-induced diabetic rats., Methods: Rats were divided into five groups: normal control, diabetic treated with vehicle, insulin, DHK, and DHK plus insulin. The animals were treated once daily for 15 weeks starting one week after STZ injection., Results: The combination of DHK with insulin significantly reduced cardiac index (P < 0.05), serum LDH (P < 0.05), AST(P < 0.05), ALT(P < 0.05) and HDL-C (P < 0.05) level, and promoted pancreatic and cardiac morphological changes as compared with the model group., Conclusion: It is suggested that DHK may be a valuable adjuvant therapy for DC.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of integrative medical program based on blood cooling and detoxification recipe (BCDR) in treating patients with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) of heat-toxicity accumulation syndrome (HTAS)., Methods: Adopting randomized controlled clinical design, a total of 105 HBV-ACLF patients of HTAS were randomly assigned to the trial group (64 cases) and the control group (41 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with comprehensive Western therapy, while those in the trial group were treated with comprehensive Western therapy plus BCDR. All were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 40 weeks. Effect and safety of the treatment were assessed, including fatality, liver functions [total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST)], and prothrombin activity (PTA) after treatment and at week 48 of follow-ups., Results: After 8-week treatment, there was statistical difference in the overall fatality rate (15.63% vs 34.15%), the fatality rate in the mid-term (25.0% vs 64.7%), TBIL at week 8 (64.54 +/- 79.75), AST [at week 2: (178.97 +/- 44.24) U/L vs (288.48 +/- 58.49) U/L; at week 4: (61.65 +/- 27.36) U/L vs (171.12 +/- 89.11) U/L] and PTA [at week 4: (58.30 +/- 15.29) vs (42.56 +/- 15.27); at week 6: (60.77 +/- 20.40) vs (43.08 +/- 12.79)] (all P < 0.05). At week 48 of the followup, the fatality rate of the trial group (21.88%) decreased by 17. 14% when compared with that of the control group (39.02%; P < 0.05). No obvious adverse event occurred in the two groups during the 8-week treatment period., Conclusion: BCDR could significantly reduce the mortality of HBV-ACLF patients.

Objective: To optimize the conditions of purifying the total alkaloids in Aconitum szechenyianum with macroporous adsorption resin, and compare the content of total alkaloids and aconitine in A. szechenyianum from different producing areas, in order to provide basis for further studies., Method: The orthogonal experiment method was adopted for optimizing the conditions of purifying the total alkaloids in A. szechenyianum with macroporous adsorption resin. The content of total alkaloids and aconitine were determined by using the titration method. The total alkaloids in A. szechenyianum from different producing areas were purified under optimum processing conditions. Aconitine was determined by HPLC., Result: Different processing conditions showed different influences on the purification of total alkaloids. The optimum conditions were resin type HPD-722, ethanol concentration of 80% , and ethanol elution volume of 80 mL x min(-1). The contents of aconitine in A. szechenyianum from different producing areas--Qinghai, Maxianshan, Ningxia and Yongdeng were 0.493 5, 0.883 5, 1.527 8, 1.664 4 mg x g(-1), respectively., Conclusion: The optimum processing conditions used in this essay could be used for purifying the total alkaloids and aconitine. A. szechenyianum from Yongdeng and Gansu contains the highest content of aconitine.

Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy of Xiaopi-I on functional dyspepsia and its effects on gastric emptying., Methods: A total of 134 patients with functional dyspepsia were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The patients in the Xiaopi-I group (66 cases) and the Domperidone group (68 cases) were given Xiaopi-I granules and Domperidone 10 mg, 3 times a day, respectively. Another 20 healthy volunteers were chosen as the negative control group. The severity scores of the symptoms, as well as the gastric emptying, were detected before and after 4-week treatment by barium strip-trial meal., Results: During therapy, 6 cases from the Xiaopi-I group and 8 cases from the Domperidone group were lost to follow, and 120 cases finally finished the study. Statistical differences were observed from both groups in terms of the symptoms of postprandial fullness early satiety, epigastric pain, and epigastric burning after 4-week treatment (P<0.01). The symptomatic severity scores of the Xiaopi-I group before and after the treatment were 7.48±1.64 and 2.16±1.26, respectively (P<0.01). Gastric emptying rates were also improved in the patients with delayed gastric emptying, and the effective rates were 91.3% and 75.8% in the Xiaopi-I and Domperidone groups, respectively. No obvious adverse effects were found from both groups., Conclusion: Xiaopi-I was an effective and safe agent in the treatment of functional dyspepsia and was worth of further development in clinical.

Through the analysis on the methods of medicinal paste preparation, the irritation of skin to medicine and the plaster materials adopted in acupoint plaster therapy for the prevention of winter-attacked disease in summer, the acupoint plaster materials and devices were improved. According to the differences in age, illness condition, acupoint and medicinal irritation of patients, the high-dosage, moderate-dosage and low-dosage series of medicine were prepared in proportion; 2. 5 mL and 5 mL syringes were manually reconstructed as the pushers for the delivery of the medicine paste of different specifications. The new-type materials such as spun-bonded non-woven fabrics, transparent dressing film and spun-laced non-woven skin-color stick plaster were adopted. In the operation, the medicine was classified and prepared more specifically. The dedicated acupoint plaster was characterized as less in skin irritation, breathable in property, convenient in practice and proper in stickiness. The plastic anti-seepage film in the middle and the medicine storage pool for stabilizing medicinal paste could avoid drug leakage. The medicinal paste pusher could achieve the even size, proper thickness and precise dosage of the paste. The new-type plaster material and the self-prepared innovated plaster device contribute to the development of acupoint plaster therapy in clinical application.

Background: Chemotherapy completion rate can reflect the tolerance and compliance of patients to chemotherapy. Poor tolerance may result in delay or suspension of the comprehensive treatment plan, thus affect the efficacy of cancer treatment. Evaluating methods to improve the completion rate of chemotherapy and reduce the occurrence of delayed chemotherapy has gained increasing attention and is the significant area of study in the field of cancer treatment. Studies have shown that Chinese medicine combined with chemotherapy could improve the quality of life in patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Objective: To observe the effects of Feitai Capsule, a Chinese patent herbal drug, combined with chemotherapy in patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC., Design, Setting, Participants and Interventions: A total of 60 diagnosed stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients from the Department of Oncology, Fuzhou General Hosipital of Najing Military Region were randomly divided into treatment group (30 cases) and control group (30 cases). Patients in the treatment group were treated with chemotherapy plus Feitai Capsule and patients in the control group only received chemotherapy. Both groups of patients were treated for 4 therapeutic cycles., Main Outcome Measures: The chemotherapy completion rate and the chemotherapy delay rate were observed in each cycle of treatment. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after 4 cycles., Results: The chemotherapy completion rate was 96.42% in the treatment group, while that of the control group was 74.07%. The chemotherapy delay rate was 3.57% in the treatment group, while that of the control group was 14.8% (P=0.007 0). The disease control rate was 78.6% in the treatment group, while that of the control group was 59.3% (P=0.173 9)., Conclusion: Feitai Capsule can increase the chemotherapy completion rate in patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC.

Objective: To explore the effect of glucose and/or acanthopanacis senticosi administration supplement on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and its change in different phase after exercise in muscle cell of rat., Methods: 128 rats were divided into exercise control groups (C groups), exercise and glucose administration groups (G groups), exercise and acanthopanacis senticosi administration groups (A groups), exercise and glucose and acanthopanacis senticosi administration groups (GA groups). The glucose and acanthopanacis senticosi supplement were completed by intragastric administration in half hour after exercise. All rats were killed in different designed time points before or after glycogen depletion exercise (0 h, 4 h and 12 h respectively) and finally divided into 16 groups (n = 8). The values of AMPK in soleus muscle were analyzed by Western blot., Results: (1) After exercise, the protein content of AMPK quickly increased and reached the peak (209.23 +/- 21.32) then gradually decreased. (2) Acanthopanacis senticosi administration markedly increased the protein content of AMPK in the 0 h and 4 h points after glycogen consumption training (225.11 +/- 20.58 and 186.31 +/- 15.26 vs 195.19 +/- 13.31 and 157.11 +/- 16.43) without any difference after 12 h. (3) Glucose administration had no significant effect on AMPK activation. (4) Both glycogen and acanthopanacis senticosi were supplied simultaneously that had enhanced the AMPK content in 4 h and 12 h point (217.96 +/- 19.25 and 191.86 +/- 14.69). However, the AMPK content in GA group was lower than that in the C groups at 12 h point (121.89 +/- 15.23 vs 137.92 +/- 16.01)., Conclusion: Exercise could markedly activate the AMPK protein in muscle cell and acanthopanacis senticosi administration augmented such activation. Glucose administration had no significant effect on AMPK activation.

Objective: To examine the effect of a Chinese medicinal herbal formula (Feitai Capsule, ) on the quality of life (QOL) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: Sixty-two patients were randomly divided into the treatment group (31 cases) and the control group (31 cases). For the treatment group, 4 capsules (1.2 g/capsule) of Feitai Capsule were administered 3 times a day after meals for 3 weeks; then no drug was administered for 1 week. This schedule was continued for at least 3 more cycles (12 weeks totally). If there were no obvious toxic reactions, the treatment was extended. The patients were evaluated at least once every 8 weeks until progressive disease (PD). For the control group, the regular follow-up and evaluation were performed at least once every 8 weeks until PD. Clinical symptoms, objective response, physical constitution and energy, QOL, and PFS were evaluated regularly. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), a non-parametric test, and analysis of covariance were used to compare clinical features, amelioration of clinical symptoms, physical constitution and energy, and QOL. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the two-group PFS., Results: Sixty patients finished the final evaluation, with 30 patients in each group. Baseline characters between groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). The control group had a 36.7% improvement in clinical symptoms, while the treatment group had a 73.3% improvement. This difference was statistically significant (Z= -2.632, P=0.008). The control group had a 26.7% improvement in the Karnofsky performance status (KPS), while the treatment group had a 53.4% improvement. This was also significantly different (Z=-2.182, P=0.029). A comparative analysis indicated a positive correlation (r=0.917, P<0.001). Compared with the control group, QOL in the treatment group was significantly improved, except in the social/family condition and doctor-patient relationship indicators. The PFS of the treatment group and control group were 6.23 months and 4.67 months, respectively (P=0.048)., Conclusion: Feitai Capsule, a Chinese medicinal herbal treatment could improve the QOL and extend the PFS of the unresectable NSCLC patients.

Objective: To compare the differences and characteristics in Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine therapeutic evaluation methods in the application of advanced non-small cell lung cancer., Methods: A total of 200 cases of advanced non-small cell lung cancer from 3 subcenters were enrolled the study and assigned to two groups, 104 in the CM group treated with CM injection combined with treatment based on syndrome differentiation, 96 in the chemotherapy group treated with the international chemothearapy scheme, both the course of treatment was 6 weeks. Their short-term therapeutic effects were observed by the "clinic efficacy appraisal standard of therapy for advanced lung cancer with CM" simultaneously and by the follow-up Western medical solid tumor's effect evaluation criterion, including clinical symptoms, tumor body, Karnorfsky score, body weight and immune function evaluation., Results: According to WHO solid tumor's effect evaluation criterion, the efficacy of the chemotherapy group was much better than that of the CM group (P < 0.01). While, according to the "clinic efficacy appraisal standard of therapy for advanced lung cancer with CM", the efficacy of the CM group was better than that of the chemotherapy group without statistical difference (P = 0.05), however, there was a very strong trend of appearing difference. There was difference inult o the results of the two evaluation methods., Conclusion: Compared with WHO solid tumor's effect evaluation criterion, "the clinic efficacy appraisal standard of therapy for advanced lung cancer with CM" can reflect more features and advantages of CM for cancer treatment, having value for further study.

Objective: To establish the quality criteria of decoction pieces of salt Eucommia., Methods: Decoction pieces of salt Eucommia were measured with moisture, total ash and alcohol-extract, and were analyzed by TLC and HPLC for research., Results: We obtained 13 batches of decoction pieces of salt Eucommia moisture, total ash and alcohol-extract measurements; Meanwhile we set the TLC and HPLC method., Conclusion: By studying the development of the decoction pieces of salt Eucommia, we established the quality control standards.

Background: Recently the maintenance therapy of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who completed required treatment cycles has caused widespread interests in the medical field. Traditional Chinese medicine may be a useful complement in maintenance treatment of mid-to-late stage NSCLC., Objective: To observe the effects of Feitai Capsule, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for expelling blood stasis and phlegm, on the quality of life of the NSCLC patients as a maintenance treatment., Design, Setting, Participants and Interventions: A total of 62 mid-to-late stage NSCLC patients from Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region were included and randomly divided into treatment group (31 cases) and control group (31 cases). Patients in the treatment group were treated with Feitai Capsule, and patients in the control group did not accept any intervention. Regular observations and follow-up were performed for patients in the two groups., Main Outcome Measures: Analysis of variance, nonparametric test, and analysis of covariance were used to compare clinical features, amelioration of clinical symptoms, physical constitution and energy, and quality of life., Results: There were two dropouts and 60 valid cases. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. In the treatment group, symptom response and physical energy level were improved by 36.6% (Z=-2.632, P=0.008) and 26.7%(Z=-2.182, P=0.029), respectively. There was a positive correlation between these two factors (r=0.917, P<0.001). The patients in treatment group had a significantly improved quality of life after treatment. No serious adverse events were observed., Conclusion: Feitai Capsule as maintenance treatment can improve the quality of life of the patients with mild-to-late stage NSCLC.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of evodiamine on the proliferation and the immune function of thymocytes and splenocyte of mice from three germlines, which were 8 weeks old masculinity BALB/c, C57BL/6 and F1 hybridization mice. Cells of thymus and spleen were harvested and prepared as unicellular suspension. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT method, while the concentration of IL-2 was detected by ELISA, mRNA levels of bcl-2 and cdk2 in cells treated with evodiamine were detected by RT-PCR, the apoptosis rate and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration were analyzed by FCM, and the protein levels of BCL-2, CDK2 and BAX were determined by fluorescence microscope. The results indicated that at 0.5, 0.75 and 1 micromol/L, evodiamine inhibited the proliferation and externalization of thymocytes and splenocytes stimulated with ConA (p < 0.05). At 0.75 micromol/L, evodiamine inhibited the secretion of IL-2, decreased the mRNA level of bcl-2 and cdk2, and induced apoptosis of thymocytes and splenocytes (p < 0.05). Intracellular ROS concentration increased significantly after treatment with evodiamine for 12 hours (p < 0.05). The death rate increased at a prolong period of time. After treatment with evodiamine for 24 and 48 hours, the cells were divided into two groups, one of which was negatively stained by 2 7-dichlorofluorescein (DCF), which indicated that ROS level decreased significantly in the dying cells. It is concluded that evodiamine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of thymocytes and splenocytes from different germline mice, and at the same time decreases secretion of IL-2 through down-regulating bcl-2 and cdk2 levels.

A reliable and rapid method based on rapid-resolution liquid chromatography-diode array detection (RRLC-DAD) and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF/MS) has been developed for the isolation and characterization of multiple constituents in the root of Stellera chamaejasme L., which was extracted by sonication with methanol in an optimized procedure. Separation of the multiple constituents was achieved on an Agilent Zorbax XDB-C18 (50x3.0 mm i.d.; 1.8 microm) column using a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 210 nm. Mass spectra were acquired in both positive and negative modes. A formula database of the known chemical constituents in the root of Stellera chamaejasme L. was established by an Agilent software. Twenty-two obvious peaks appeared in the total ion chromatogram and nine of them were characterized by TOF/MS. The RRLC-DAD and ESI-TOF/MS method with ultrasonic extraction would be useful for rapid and effective characterization of chemical constituents in the root of Stellera chamaejasme L., (Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Aim: To study the inhibitory effect of Huqi San (Qi-protecting powder) on rat prehepatocarcinoma induced by diethylinitrosamine (DEN) by analyzing the mutational activation of c-fos proto-oncogene and over-expression of c-jun and c-myc oncogenes., Methods: A Solt-Farber two-step test model of prehepatocarcinoma was induced in rats by DEN and 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) to investigate the modifying effects of Huqi San on the expression of c-jun, c-fos and c-myc in DEN-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis. Huqi San was made of eight medicinal herbs containing glycoprival granules, in which each milliliter contains 0.38 g crude drugs. gamma-glutamy-transpeptidase-isoenzyme (gamma-GTase) was determined with histochemical methods. Level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (OHdG) formed in liver and c-jun, c-fos and c-myc proto-oncogenes were detected by immunohistochemical methods., Results: The level of 8-OHdG, a mark of oxidative DNA damage, was significantly decreased in the liver of rats with prehepatocarcinoma induced by DEN who received 8 g/kg body weight or 4 g/kg body weight Huqi San before (1 wk) and after DEN exposure (4 wk). Huqi San-treated rats showed a significant decrease in number of gamma-GT positive foci (P < 0.001, prevention group: 4.96 +/- 0.72 vs 29.46 +/- 2.17; large dose therapeutic group: 7.53 +/- 0.88 vs 29.46 +/- 2.17). On the other hand, significant changes in expression of c-jun, c-fos and c-myc were found in Huqi San-treated rats., Conclusion: Activation of c-jun, c-fos and c-myc plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of liver cancer. Huqi San can inhibit the over-expression of c-jun, c-fos and c-myc oncogenes and liver preneolastic lesions induced by DEN.

Objective: To comparatively observe the curative effect, adverse reaction and compliance of Modified Xiaoyao Pill combining amitriptyline (MXP-At) in treating patients with depression., Methods: Sixty-four patients with diagnosis of depression matched to the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders (CCMD-3) were randomly assigned to 2 groups, the treatment group treated with MXP-At and the control group with fluoxeline, 32 cases in each group. The curative effect was evaluated by Hamilton depression (HAMD) scale and the adverse reaction was recorded before treatment and at the 2nd, 4th and 12th week of the treatment. Patients were regularly followed up from the 12th week to the 24 th week. The curative effect and compliance in the two groups were compared., Results: The HAMD score dropped in both groups from the 2nd week of the treatment, and at that time, it was lower in the control group than that in the treatment group (P < 0.05); but at the 4th week, no significant difference was found in the therapeutic effect and the HAMD score between the two groups. However, 3 and 14 cases in the treatment and the control group were relapsed during the 12 weeks of follow-up respectively., Conclusion: MXP-At shows a curative effect similar to fluoxetine on depression but with less adverse reaction, and is not expensive.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of the Chinese medicine Huzhangdanshenyin on male immune infertility, and provide an effective therapy for this disease., Methods: Ninety men with immune infertility were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into two groups, 60 in the treatment group, treated by Huzhangdanshenyin, and the other 30 in the control, treated by prednisone, both for 3 months. The improvement of clinical symptoms, immunologic indexes (antisperm antibodies in serum and seminal plasma) and sperm indexes (semen liquefied duration, motility, viability, density and abnormal morphology rate) were observed and the results analyzed., Results: The total antisperm antibody reversing ratio of the treatment group was higher than that of the control (P < 0.01), especially the serum antisperm antibody reversing ratio. There were significant differences in the clinical cure rate and total validity rate between the treatment group and the control (P < 0.01). After the treatment, the markers of the clinical symptoms (P < 0.01), especially the serum antisperm antibody reversing ratio. There were significant differences in the clinical cure rate and total validity rate between the treatment group and the control (P < 0.01). After the treatment, the markers of the clinical symptoms were lower (P < 0.01), and the improvement of the clinical symptoms was better in the treatment group than in the control (P < 0.01), especially the symptoms of pain in the back and knees, distending and bearing-down sensation of the perineum and testis, hypersexuality and topalgias. Compared with pre-treatment, sperm motility and viability of the treatment group significantly improved (P < 0.01), and so did sperm density (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in sperm density, semen liquefied duration, abnormal morphology rate and pH (P > 0.05) before and after the treatment., Conclusion: The Chinese medicine Huzhangdanshenyin works more effectively than prednisone in the treatment of male immune infertility. It could improve the antisperm antibody reversing ratio, clinical symptoms and signs and ameliorate sperm indexes with no obvious advierse effects.

Background & Objective: SHEN QI JIN KANG (SQJK) capsule is a complex preparation, consisting of effective components extracted from radix astragali, ginseng, curcuma, etc. It has been demonstrated to be able to decrease tumor volume, increase life quality and prolong survival time in clinic application. The study was to investigate the antitumor effects of SQJK capsule in vivo and in vitro, and further explore the possible mechanisms., Methods: The proliferation of cancer cells treated with SQJK was measured by MTT assay in twelve cell lines; cell apoptosis was observed under an electric microscopic and detected by flow cytometry in MCF-7 and MA891 cells; altered telomerase activity in A549 cells was examined by a telomerase activity detection kit. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of SQJK on tumors was also surveyed in vivo by using mice and nude mice models bearing transplanted tumors., Results: Inhibitory concentration 50% (IC(50)) of SQJK on A549, U251, MCF-7, Ketr-3, EJ, and A2780 cells was 30.954 microg/ml, 31.746 microg/ml, 37.220 microg/ml, 40.366 microg/ml, 41.398 microg/ml, and 45.083 microg/ml, respectively. Typical sub-G1 peaks, indicating the occurrence of apoptosis, were revealed in MA891and MCF-7 cells treated with SQJK. Morphological changes including cell shrinkage and condensation of chromosomes were observed. The telomerase activity of A549 was inhibited after 48 h of SQJK treatment. SQJK 1.8 g/kg inhibited the weights of transplanted tumors (MA891, H22, S180 in mice and PC-3 (M), MCF-7 and Ketr-3 in nude mice) by 50.84%, 48.91%, 40.88%, 62.50%, 47.83% and 30.06%, while SQJK 3.6 g/kg inhibited the weights by 56.49%, 59.62%, 55.70%, 70.76%, 58.66% and 50.18%, respectively., Conclusion: SQJK has demonstrated antitumor bioactivity both in vitro and in vivo, which may be related to its effects of inducing apoptosis and decreasing telomerase activity.