Engineering cannabidiol synergistic carbon monoxide nanocomplexes to enhance cancer therapy via excessive autophagy

Although carbon monoxide (CO)-based treatments have demonstrated the high cancer efficacy by promoting mitochondrial damage and core-region penetrating ability, the efficiency was often compromised by protective autophagy (mitophagy). Herein, cannabidiol (CBD) is integrated into biomimetic carbon monoxide nanocomplexes (HMPOC@M) to address this issue by inducing excessive autophagy. The biomimetic membrane not only prevents premature drugs leakage, but also prolongs blood circulation for tumor enrichment. After entering the acidic tumor microenvironment, carbon monoxide (CO) donors are stimulated by hydrogen oxide (H2O2) to disintegrate into CO and Mn2+. The comprehensive effect of CO/Mn2+ and CBD can induce ROS-mediated cell apoptosis. In addition, HMPOC@M-mediated excessive autophagy can promote cancer cell death by increasing autophagic flux via class III PI3K/BECN1 complex activation and blocking autolysosome degradation via LAMP1 downregulation. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that HMPOC@M+ laser strongly inhibited tumor growth and attenuated liver and lung metastases by downregulating VEGF and MMP9 proteins. This strategy may highlight the pro-death role of excessive autophagy in TNBC treatment, providing a novel yet versatile avenue to enhance the efficacy of CO treatments. Importantly, this work also indicated the applicability of CBD for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy through excessive autophagy.

Novel assays for quality evaluation of XueBiJing:Quality variability of a Chinese herbal injection for sepsis management / 药物分析学报

XueBiJing is an intravenous five-herb injection used to treat sepsis in China.The study aimed to develop a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)-or liquid chromatography-ultraviolet(LC-UV)-based assay for quality evaluation of XueBiJing.Assay development involved identifying marker constituents to make the assay therapeutically relevant and building a reliable one-point cali-brator for monitoring the various analytes in parallel.Nine marker constituents from the five herbs were selected based on XueBiJing's chemical composition,pharmacokinetics,and pharmacodynamics.A selectivity test(for"similarity of response")was developed to identify and minimize interference by non-target constituents.Then,an intercept test was developed to fulfill"linearity through zero"for each analyte(absolute ratio of intercept to C response,＜2％).Using the newly developed assays,we analyzed samples from 33 batches of XueBiJing,manufactured over three years,and found small batch-to-batch variability in contents of the marker constituents(4.1％-14.8％),except for senkyunolide I(26.5％).

Ineffectiveness of Skin Tests in Predicting Allergic Reactions Induced by Chinese Herbal Injections / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate whether skin tests are suitable to predict the allergy reactions induced by Chinese herbal injections (CHIs).@*METHODS@#The skin tests including skin prick tests (SPT), intradermal tests (IDT) and provocation tests including subcutaneous tests and intravenous tests were administered to 249 healthy subjects and 180 allergic patients for 3 CHIs, including ginkgolide injection, diterpene ginkgolide meglumine injection and Salvianolate lyophilized injection. The results of the provocation tests were used as the "gold standard" to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the skin tests.@*RESULTS@#The results did not show any significant differences between the healthy and allergy groups in both skin tests and provocation tests (P>0.05). The specificities of SPT and IDT were 0.976 and 0.797, respectively, and the sensitivities of both SPT and IDT were 0.@*CONCLUSION@#Skin tests are insufficient to predict the likelihood of allergic reactions resulting from CHIs. (ChiCTR-CPC-15006921).

Pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of Fufang Yuxingcao Mixture for the treatment of heat-clearing and detoxification based on network pharmacology / 药学学报

We explored the pharmacodynamic material basis and network regulatory mechanism of Fufang Yuxingcao Mixture (FYM) for the treatment of fever and inflammation. Targets of the 25 compounds in FYM were predicted according to the reverse pharmacophore method and TCMSP, UniProt database. Gene ontology (GO) function enrichment and pathway analysis of the targets was analyzed by Omicsbean software and the Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia (KEGG) database. A "compound-target-pathway-pharmacological action-effect" network was established with Cytoscape 3.6.1 software. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammation model was used to verify the anti-inflammatory effects of FYM and its 10 important components. The network pharmacology experiment showed that 25 compounds affected 97 pathways through 211 targets, of which 15 key targets [including RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), insulin (INS), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), transcription factor AP-1 (JUN), caspase-3 (CASP3), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), interleukin-8 (IL-8), prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), proto-oncogene c-Fos (FOS), tyrosine-protein kinase SRC (SRC), c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (MAPK8), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1)] and 46 pathways (including NF-kappa B signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, arachidonic acid metabolism, cAMP signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels, chemokine signaling pathway, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity, etc.) were related to anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, immune regulation, and analgesia. In vitro cell experiments showed that FYM and the 10 components (including isoquercitrin, luteoloside, baicalein, wogonin, wogonoside, phillyrin, forsythoside A, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, and sweroside) could significantly reduce the expression of nitric oxide (NO), TNF-α and IL-6 in cell supernatants, indicating that the above 10 components may be the key pharmacodynamic material basis of FYM.

Panax japonicus and chikusetsusaponins: A review of diverse biological activities and pharmacology mechanism / 中草药·英文版

Panax japonicus, which in the Tujia dialect is known as “Baisan Qi” and “Zhujieshen”, is a classic “qi” drug of Tujia ethnomedicine and it has unique effects on disease caused by “qi” stagnation and blood stasis. This paper serves as the basis of further scientific research and development of Panax japonicus. The pharmacology effects of molecular pharmacology were discussed and summarized. P. japonicus plays an important role on several diseases, such as rheumatic arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular agents, and this review provides new insights into P. japonicus as promising agents to substitute ginseng and notoginseng.

A review of lignans from genus Kadsura and their spectrum characteristics / 中草药·英文版

Kadsura belongs to the Schisandroideae subfamily of Magnoliaceae. Plants from genus Kadsura are widely distributed in the South and Southwest of China. The plants of the genus are widely used as folk medicine for a long time in history, with the functions of relieving pain, promoting ‘qi’ circulation, activating blood resolve stasis, and applications in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and gastroenteric disorders. Lignans are the primary characteristic constituents with various biological activities of plants from genus Kadsura. This paper summarized 81 lignans isolated from the plants of genus Kadsura over the past eight years (from 2014 to 2021), which belong to five types: dibenzocyclooctadienes, spirobenzofuranoid dibenzocyclooctadienes, aryltetralins, diarylbutanes and tetrahydrofurans. Each type of these lignans possess typical characteristics in proton magnetic resonance (

Overview on development of ASEAN traditional and herbal medicines / 中草药·英文版

Traditional medicine is an important and often underestimated part of health services. In some countries, it has a long history of use in health maintenance and in disease prevention and treatment, particularly for disease. WHO has always emphasized the important role of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine in human healthcare. In this review article, the author provided some information from the following five aspects: (1) Development basis of China ASEAN traditional medicine and herbal medicine; (2) The development and afficacy of traditional medicine theory system; (3) Industry development and regulation management of traditional medicine and herbal medicine products; (4) China-ASEAN traditional medicine exchanges and cooperation to promote traditional medicine cooperation and medicine trade, and (5) Strengthening academic and industrial cooperation and promoting the healthy development of traditional medicine and herbal medicine. It is believed that the information will have certain reference value for readers in studies on traditional and herbal medicines.

Investigation of the metabolites of five major constituents from Berberis amurensis in normal and pseudo germ-free rats / 中国天然药物

Berberis amurensis (Berberidaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is often used to treat hypertension, inflammation, dysentery and enteritis. It contains alkaloids, mainly including berberine, berbamine, magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine and palmatine. Berberis amurensis extracts (BAEs) is often orally taken. Oral herbs might be metabolized by intestinal bacteria in the small intestine. However, the interaction between the herb and the gut microbiota is still unknown. In the current study, UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with Metabolitepilot and Peakview software was used to identify the metabolites of BAEs in anti-biotic cocktail induced pseudo germ-free rats and normal rats. As a result, a total of 46 metabolites in normal rats were detected and its main metabolic pathways include demethylation, dehydrogenation, methylation, hydroxylation, sulfation and glucuronidation. Only 29 metabolites existed in pseudo germ-free rats. Dehydrogenated metabolites (M29, M30, M34 and M36), methylated metabolites (M33, M41 and M46) and other metabolites were not detected in pseudo germ-free rats. The result implied that the intestinal bacteria have an influence on the metabolism of BAEs. Furthermore, this investigation might contribute to the understanding of the metabolism of BAEs, and further promote its clinical application.

Modern research progress of traditional Chinese medicine Paeoniae Radix Alba and prediction of its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Paeoniae Radix Alba is the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora, which was first recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and listed as the top grade. It is a common blood-tonifying herb, and its chemical components are mainly monoterpenes and their glycosides, triterpenes, flavonoids and so on. Modern research has demonstrated that Paeoniae Radix Alba has the activities of anti-inflammation, pain easing, liver protection, and anti-oxidation, and thus it is widely used in clinical practice and has broad development prospects. In this paper, the research progress on the chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and quality control of Paeoniae Radix Alba were summarized. On this basis, the Q-markers of Paeoniae Radix Alba were predicted from the aspects of mass transfer and traceability, chemical composition specificity, and availability and measurability of chemical components, which will provide a scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Paeoniae Radix Alba.

High tibial osteotomy combined with lateral retinacular release for the treatment of knee varus osteoarthritis with lateral patellar compression syndrome / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical effect of high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopic lateral retinacular release in the treatment of knee varus osteoarthritis.@*METHODS@#From October 2017 to April 2019, a retrospective analysis was performed on 43 patients with knee varus osteoarthritis and lateral patellar compression syndrome treated by high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopic lateral retinacular release. There were 15 males and 28 females, aged 53 to 72(62.05±5.17) years. The visual analogue scale(VAS), Lysholm, and the knee range of motion were used to evaluate knee pain and functional recovery before operation, 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months after operation. And the congruence angle (CA), patellar tilt angle (PTA), and femala-tibial angle (FTA) were measured respectively before and 12 months after operation to evaluate the congruence of patellar joint, and the improvement of line of gravity of lower limb.@*RESULTS@#All 43 patients were followed up for more than 12 months, with a follow-up time of 14 to 28 (19.60±4.50) months. The VAS scores decreased from 6.65±0.65 before operation to 2.16±0.95, 0.51±0.77 and 0.33±0.64 at 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant (@*CONCLUSION@#High tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopic lateral retinacular release can relieve weight-bearing pain in frontal axis and improve the function of knee in sagittal axis.

Evaluation of cartilage regeneration by arthroscopy after high tibial osteotomy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the cartilage regeneration in the knee joint by arthroscopy after high tibial osteotomy.@*METHODS@#Eleven patients were included in the study who were treated with high tibial osteotomy and underwent microscopy when the internal fixation was unloaded from September 2017 to September 2019. Among them, there were 2 males and 9 females, aged from 55 to 64 years old. The internal and external compartment pictures of the knee were taken before and after surgery of removing the internal fixation and the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grading systerm was used to evaluate the degree of cartilage damage on the medial and lateral femoralcondyles and tibial plateau. The Westrn Ontarioand Mcmaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and the weight bearing line (WBL) were used to evaluate the function of the knee and the alignment of the lower limb.@*RESULTS@#All 8 patients were followed up for more than 12 months, ranging from 12 to 22 months. The degenerated cartilage of the medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau was covered by newly regenerated cartilage. WOMAC score decreased from 102-127 to 41-52 and WBL was improved from 17%-34% to 58%-64%. All incisions healed in stageⅠ, and no complications such as internal fixation rupture and infection occurred during and after the operation.@*CONCLUSION@#High tibial osteotomy can relieve the pain of the knee and the dysfunction by adjusting lower limb alignment, and the degenerated cartilage could be regenerated in the medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau.

Attach importance to research and development of Chinese materia medica based on prevention and control needs of SARS-CoV-2 infection / 中草药

In the first 20 years of the new century, two times of coronavirus “visiting” China has become a public health emergency, which has attracted great attention at home and abroad. At the critical time of epidemic prevention and control in SARS-CoV-2 infection, the excellent achievements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) show the advantages and contributions of TCM. In view of the complexity of the symptoms of patients with coronavirus infection, the diversity of organ and tissue damage and functional damage or failure, how to adapt to the needs of clinical prevention and treatment is not only a problem of modern medicine, but also a problem of TCM. In this review article, the authors combed the research of TCM prescription and single medicine after understanding the cause of coronavirus infection and pathogenicity and multiple organ dysfunction and failure caused by coronavirus. Based on the emphasis on the TCM scientific research and application, the TCM therapeutic effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection is discussed. The framework of new drug research and development based on possible “target” is proposed, and we put forward the ideas for researching new TCM products through the expanding molecular mechanism of infection.

Safety and effectiveness of hemoperfusion on the removal of uremic toxins in chronic kidney disease / 药学学报

The goal of the present study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of hemoperfusion (HP) in beagle dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The experimental protocol was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research New Drug Evaluation Research (IACUC2019071501). Twelve CKD model beagles were randomly divided into two groups: a low-frequency treatment group (n = 6) and a high-frequency treatment group (n = 6). The dogs in the high- and low-frequency groups received HP treatment every 3 days and once per week, respectively, for two treatments, with each session lasting 2 h. The test results showed that high-frequency HP treatment significantly decreased the accumulation of toxins in the CKD beagles. Hematology, coagulation function, electrolytes and liver function indicated that the HP treatment was safe. The body index effects were consistent between the low- and high-frequency treatment groups. Therefore, HP treatment once every 3 days was safe at the animal level. Multiple HP treatments every 3 days were more conducive than weekly treatments to the removal of uremic toxins with better prognosis and had no associated safety hazards.

Pay attention to situation of SARS-CoV-2 and TCM advantages in treatment of novel coronavirus infection / 中草药·英文版

Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus epidemic, novel coronavirus has infected nearly 100,000 people in more than 110 countries. How to face this new coronavirus epidemic outbreak is an important issue. Basic reproduction number (R0) is an important parameter in epidemiology; The basic reproduction number of an infection can be thought of as the expected number of cases directly generated by one case in a population where all individuals are susceptible to infection. Epidemiology dynamics is a mathematical model based on a susceptibility-infection-recovery epidemic model. Researchers analyzed the epidemiological benefits of different transmission rates for the establishment of effective strategy in prevention and control strategies for epidemic infectious diseases. In this review, the early use of TCM for light and ordinary patients, can rapidly improve symptoms, shorten hospitalization days and reduce severe cases transformed from light and normal. Many TCM formulas and products have wide application in treating infectious and non-infectious diseases. The TCM theoretical system of treating epidemic diseases with TCM and the treatment scheme of integrated Chinese and Western medicine have proved their effectiveness in clinical practice. TCM can cure COVID-19 pneumonia, and also shows that the role of TCM in blocking the progress of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Analysis and evaluation of peer review results of a fund's three year research project / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective Based on the three years' peer review data of a project fund,the results of fund peer review were analyzed and evaluated,to provide references for further improvement of the peer review and management.Methods Based on the fund's peer review results of 2145 projects in three years,descriptive statistics,single-item identification index were adopted,as well as RJ normality test,t-test and other statistical methods,to analyze and assess the overall data of fund,project categories,individual scores,etc.Results The score distribution of the three year peer review project of the fund is almost normal distribution,and the overall consistency of peer review shows a better trend.The analysis shows that the peer review experts of the fund have better consistency in terms of project innovation,rationality and characteristics.While there were differences in the peer review of applicability.Conclusions The three year peer review data of the fund show that three years' evaluation results are reliable,reasonable,and the quality of evaluation is good,showing a better development trend in both project quality and expert consistency.

Applying Malmquist index to evaluate the output efficiency of scientific research in a hospital department / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective To study the dynamic changes of scientific research efficiency of 51 departments in a top three hospitals in Beijing from 2014 to 2016,and to provide reference information for improving the efficiency of scientific research in hospital departments.Methods The CCC model of DEA,BCC model were used for lateral analysis,and then Malmquist index was used for longitudinal analysis.Results There were 12 (23.53％) departments in 2014,11 (21.57％) departments in 2015,9 (17.65％) departments in 2016 data envelopment analysis was valid,from 2014 to 2016,41 (80.39％) departments of the hospital increased the total factor productivity.Conclusions The total factor productivity of the 51 departments in the hospital increased from 2014 to 2016,and technological progress was the main reason for its growth.

Analysis of retrospective selection of peer review experts based on the results of the review / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective Discussion on the methods of retrospectively selecting peer review experts based on the results of review.Methods Based on the review data of peer reviewers,peer review experts are retrospectively selected based on the voting,rating and comprehensive evaluations,as well as their variations and errors during the review.Results Through the retrospective selection of peer reviewers,there is a better convergence of reviews,which assures the quality of future peer reviews.This method is superior to the prospective selection of peer reviewers.Conclusions Based on the results of the review,retrospective selection of peer review experts is feasible and helpful for the selection of high-level peer review experts,which can improve the quality of peer review and standardize peer review.

Analysis of the scientific research efficiency of hospital department based on stochastic frontier method / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective Based on the data of scientific research output in a top three hospital in Beijing from 2015 and 2016,stochastic frontier analysis is conducted to estimate the efficiency of scientific research performance in different departments of this hospital,so as to draw the impetus for the growth of departments.Methods According to the results of the stochastic frontier model,comprehensive analysis and evaluation are conducted for the research performance of various departments.Results The overall average technical efficiency of the hospital is 0.44,and improvement space for the technical efficiency of scientific research performance is still 0.56.There are significant differences in the technical efficiency of each department.Among the four major categories,the D section is higher than the technical efficiency of class A,B and C departments.Conclusions The overall technical efficiency of the hospital is not high,the level of scientific research output of the four types of departments is not balanced,which should be emphasized in the improvement of scientific research performance level.

The concept, core theory and research methods of Chinesemedicine quality markers / 药学学报

Q-marker is a new concept of quality control for traditional Chinese medicine. Since its introduction in 2016, it has received extensive support and participation from researchers and manufactures of the entire industry. In order to establishing the research level of quality markers, normative research model, we review the proposed core theory and research methods of Chinese medicine quality markers. The definition and scientific connotation of Chinese medicine quality markers are analyzed. The core theories and research methods of quality markers are summarized from five aspects: "effectiveness", "specificity", "transfer and traceability", "compatibility environment" and "measurability" of quality markers. This paper aims to provide useful theoretical and methodological guidance for studying Chinese medicine quality markers.

A hypothesis on the Q-markers based on characteristics of opposite-effect of herbs: an example of Sanqi / 药学学报

The quality definition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a hot area in modern research of TCM. In recent years, the characteristics of one herb with multiple effects have been widely accepted and studied. The typical opposite-effect of herbs is considered as a special part of one herb with multiple effects, and was summarized in this paper. Sanqi was used as an example of opposite-effect herbs for developing the strategies and approaches on the Q-markers. The traditional opposite-effect should be studied by modern pharmacological research methods. The correlation of the chemical components with the opposite effects should be established in order to verify the material basis and evaluate the mechanism including targets and pathways. The unique characteristics of chemical components should be analyzed and defined. Finally, the Q-markers of the opposite effect herb will be confirmed. This paper provides a useful reference for the precise quality control of herbal opposite-effects.