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Objectives Dictamnus dasycarpus is a plant of the Rutaceae family, and its root bark is the main part used as a medicine, named 'Bai-Xian-Pi'. It is used to clear away heat, remove dampness, and dispel wind and also used for detoxification. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic review about the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of this plant. Key findings More than 200 compounds have been isolated and identified from the plant, including alkaloids and their glycosides, terpenoids and their derivatives and phenylpropanoids. Extensive pharmacological activities of the extracts or compounds of D. dasycarpus in vivo and in vitro were mainly confirmed, including anti-inflammatory activity, protecting cardiovascular activity, improving liver injury and anti-cancer activity. Summary In this paper, the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of D. dasycarpus were reviewed. In the future, D. dasycarpus needs further study, such as paying more attention to quality control and the utilization on agriculture. In addition, discussing the medicinal components of decoction as well as the toxicity will also contribute to the progress of clinical trial studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Dictamnus dasycarpus is a plant of the Rutaceae family, and its root bark is the main part used as a medicine, named 'Bai-Xian-Pi'. It is used to clear away heat, remove dampness, and dispel wind and also used for detoxification. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic review about the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of this plant., Key Findings: More than 200 compounds have been isolated and identified from the plant, including alkaloids and their glycosides, terpenoids and their derivatives and phenylpropanoids. Extensive pharmacological activities of the extracts or compounds of D. dasycarpus in vivo and in vitro were mainly confirmed, including anti-inflammatory activity, protecting cardiovascular activity, improving liver injury and anti-cancer activity., Summary: In this paper, the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of D. dasycarpus were reviewed. In the future, D. dasycarpus needs further study, such as paying more attention to quality control and the utilization on agriculture. In addition, discussing the medicinal components of decoction as well as the toxicity will also contribute to the progress of clinical trial studies., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The present study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of the AmpC enzyme by analyzing the construction and function of AmpCR, AmpE and AmpG genes in the Dhahran (DHA)‑1 plasmid of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae). The production of AmpC and extended‑spectrum β‑lactamase (ESBL) were determined following the cefoxitin (FOX) inducing test for AmpC, preliminary screening and confirmation tests for ESBL in 10 DHA‑1 plasmid AmpC enzymes of K. pneumoniae strains. AmpCR, AmpD, AmpE and AmpG sequences were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The pACYC184‑X plasmid analysis system was established and examined by regulating the pAmpC enzyme expression. The electrophoretic bands of AmpCR, AmpD, AmpE and AmpG were expressed. Numerous mutations in AmpC + AmpR (AmpCR) and in the intergenic region cistron of AmpC‑AmpR, AmpD, AmpE and AmpG were observed. The homology of AmpC and AmpR, in relation to the Morganella morganii strain, was 99%, which was determined by comparing the gene sequences of Kp1 with those of Kp17 AmpCR. The specific combination of AmpR and labeled probe demonstrated a band retarded phenomenon and established a spatial model of AmpR. All the enzyme production strains demonstrated Val93→Ala in AmpG; six transmembrane domains were found in AmpE in all strains, with the exception of Kp1 and Kp4, which had only three transmembrane segments that were caused by mutation. The DHA‑1 plasmid AmpC enzymes encoded by plasmid are similar to the inducible chromosomal AmpC enzymes, which are also regulated by AmpD, AmpE, AmpR and AmpG.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of oxygen uptake efficiency (OUE) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to analyze the relationship between OUE and the exercise capacity., Methods: Pulmonary function test and cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed in 59 patients with stable COPD (grade I, n = 15; grade II, n = 16; grade III, n = 19; grade IV, n = 9) and 29 healthy volunteers of the same age. Their successive breathing respiratory exchange parameters were collected and analyzed. t test and χ(2) test were used for 2 sample comparison, while multiple comparisons among groups were performed by using single factor analysis of variance. Correlation analysis was done by Pearson correlation test., Results: Compared with the normal control group [(2.2 ± 0.4) L·min(-1)·lg(L·min(-1))(-1); (35 ± 4) ml/L], the OUES and OUEP of the COPD patient group [(1.9 ± 0.3) L·min(-1)·lg(L·min(-1))(-1); (31 ± 5) ml/L]were significantly lower (t = 4.57, 3.39, all P < 0.01) . The OUE of the grade I patients showed no significant difference compared with the normal control group (t = 0.36-1.49, all P > 0.05), while the OUES of the grade II-IV patients [(2.05 ± 0.26), (1.76 ± 0.28) and (1.63 ± 0.19) L·min(-1)·lg(L·min(-1))(-1)] decreased significantly compared to the normal control group [(2.23 ± 0.39) L·min(-1)·lg(L·min(-1))(-1); t = 2.42-5.26, all P < 0.05]. The OUEP and the OUE at the anaerobic threshold of the grade II-III patients [(31 ± 4) and (31 ± 5), (29 ± 5) and (29 ± 5) ml/L] decreased significantly compared to the normal control group [(35 ± 4) and (34 ± 4) ml/L, t = 2.18-4.83, all P < 0.05]. The OUES, OUEP and the OUE at the anaerobic threshold in COPD patients were correlated (r = 0.500-0.625, all P < 0.01) positively with the exercise tolerance (peak VO2% pred)., Conclusions: The oxygen uptake efficiency of patients with COPD is significantly reduced compared to that of the normal subjects, and is correlated positively with the exercise capacity.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) participates significantly in vascular development and pathophysiological processes. Angiotensin II (AngII) has been demonstrated to be critical in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the effects of AngII on BMP-2 expression and of probucol on the AngII-induced BMP-2 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are unknown. The aim of our study was to investigate these effects. HUVECs were cultured and stimulated with various agents. The total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and BMP-2 were measured by standard methods. Northern blotting was used to detect the expression of BMP-2 mRNA. The activation of NF-κB in the HUVECs was also determined. The AngII treatment significantly increased BMP-2 expression levels and activated NF-κB. These effects were suppressed by treatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) or probucol. Furthermore, the increased levels of MDA in the conditioned medium and the decrease in the total SOD activity caused by the AngII treatment were reversed by treatment with probucol or PDTC. Probucol downregulated the AngII‑induced BMP-2 expression. These effects of probucol may be mediated by the inhibition of NF-κB activation.

In the present article, the authors summarized the state of acupuncture therapy in the United States of America from 1) history and current state, 2) legislation and its contents, management system and introduction of health insurance system, and 3) standardization. Acupuncture therapy, as a complementary or alternative therapy, has been widely supported and approved by majority of states in the USA. The authors hold that due to differences between the oriental and western cultures and difficulties of Chinese medicine in quantitative and qualitative studies, the legislation on acupuncture therapy for approval of the American Parliament needs paying more efforts.

The anti-morphine peptide PPC from dog brain has an inhibitory effect on morphine analgesia. It is highly homologous to DBI. The analgesic effect of bovine DBI was measured, showing the potentiation effect on morphine analgesia. In order to study the relationship between PPC and DBI, cDNA library derived from dog liver had been screened using partial gene of rat DBI as a probe. A positive clone was obtained. The entire sequence of the insert of this positive clone provided complete sequence of a peptide which was identified as the DBI peptide. It shows 88.5% homology with pig DBI, 87.4% with bovine, 83.9% with human, 46.5% with yeast, respectively. The sequence of N-terminal 50 amino acid residues except 55th, 58th site and C-terminal 17 amino acids is the same to DBI from dog. PPC has 23 amino acids more than DBI inside.