Mechanism of Active Steroid Alkaloids from Solanum nigrum Against Non-small Cell Lung Cancer： Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the potential targets and pathways of steroid alkaloids<italic> </italic>from<italic> Solanum</italic> <italic>nigrum</italic> （SASN） in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） and analyze the possible mechanism. Method:The active SASN against NSCLC were searched from literature. Then potential targets of SASN were screened through SwissTargetPrediction and PharmMapper， and those of NSCLC through GeneCards. Venny was employed to yield the common targets of the two， and Cytoscape to construct the 'medicinal-component-disease-target' network. Metascape was applied to enrich the Gene Ontology （GO） terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathways of the common targets， and STRING was used to generate the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network， followed by screening of key targets by Cytoscape. Finally， Western blot was used to verify the effects of the medicinal on key targets. Result:A total of 6 active SASN were screened out： solasonine， solamargine， solasodine， solanocapsine， solanidine， and <italic>N</italic>-methylsolasodine， which had 96 potential anti-NSCLC targets. These targets mainly involved the pathways in cancer， proteoglycans in cancer， and Forkhead box protein O （FoxO） pathway. PPI network analysis demonstrated 15 key anti-NSCLC targets of SASN， such as mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）1， MAPK8， MAPK14， protein kinase B （Akt1）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， and proto-oncogene tyrosine protein kinase （SRC）. Meanwhile， Western blot results showed that SASN could significantly down-regulate the expression of the key proteins Akt1， SRC， and STAT3. Conclusion:We predicted the potential targets and pathways of SASN against NSCLC and obtained 15 key targets， from which we selected three key proteins for validation. The validation results were consistent with the prediction results. This paper is expected to lay a scientific basis for the subsequent in-depth study of the mechanisms of SASN against NSCLC.

Calcium mobilizing effect of hawthorn leaf procyanidins in vascular endothelial cells / 中国中药杂志

The hawthorn leaves have the effect of activating blood, removing blood stasis, regulating qi through the veins, dissolving turbidity and lowering lipid. Procyanidinis is one of its main active components and plays an important role in regulating vasoactivity. Previous studies showed that the regulating effect of procyanidins was related to its regulation on nitric oxide secretion from vascular endothelial cells, and this effect was dependent on the extracellular calcium concentration, suggesting that the changes in intracellular calcium ion concentration in endothelial cells may play a key role in this process. However, the research on this issue is still insufficient so far. This study is aimed to observe the effect of hawthorn leaf oligomeric procyanidins (HLP) on calcium mobilization of vascular endothelial cells, and investigate the underlying mechanism. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured and labeled with Fura-2. HUVEC were treated with HLP at concentrations of 6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 mg·L⁻¹, and the intracellular calcium concentrations were measured with a living cell microscope for 30 min. HLP increased the intracellular calcium concentration of HUVEC in a concentration dependent manner; and the intracellular calcium concentrations in 25 and 50 mg·L⁻¹ HLP groups were significantly higher than that in the normal group. With the use of calcium-free incubation buffer, addition of calcium chelating agent EGTA in incubation buffer, or use of inhibitors for sodium calcium exchanger, the effect of HLP was significantly inhibited. On the other hand, the effect of HLP could also be weakened by inhibiting the calcium release from the intracellular storage. In conclusion, these results suggest that HLP can elicit calcium mobilization in vascular endothelial cells, which may be one of the mechanisms for its vascular modulatory activity; and this calcium mobilizing effect may be achieved through promoting both extracellular calcium influx and intracellular calcium release, additionally the former may be related to activating the reverse transport of Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchangers on the cell membrane.

Research and application of quality standard for standard decoction of Chrysanthemi Flos / 中国中药杂志

Standard decoction of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is prepared by standardized process, and can be used as references to evaluate the quality of dosage forms such as decoction and dispensing granules. In order to determine the quality evaluation method for standard decoction of Chrysanthemi Flos and investigate its application, 10 batches of white chrysanthemum of Hangzhou were collected to prepare the standard decoction of white chrysanthemum of Hangzhou with standardized process parameters. Parameters such as traits, relative density, pH value, extraction ratio, transfer rate and fingerprint were selected as the indexes for quality evaluation. The established quality evaluation method for standard decoction of Chrysanthemi Flos was applied in the detection of two types of commercial Chrysanthemum dispensing granules. The results showed that the standard decoction of Chrysanthemi Flos was a clear yellow-brown aqueous solution; the relative density was 1.007-1.011; the pH value was between 5.37-5.56; the average extraction ratio was 23.6%, ranging from 19.93% to 29.69%; the average transfer ratewas 56.2% in terms of chlorogenic acid, 57.4% in terms of luteoloside and 30.6% in terms of 3,5--dicaffeoylquinic acid. Fingerprint similarity was between 0.864-0.989.The method showed good precision, stability and repeatability in fingerprint analysis, indicating reliable and representative results for standard decoction of Chrysanthemi Flos, and it can be used to evaluate and standardize other dosage forms.

Study design and implementation for population pharmacokinetics of Chinese medicine: An expert consensus / 中国结合医学杂志

Although many population pharmacokinetics (PPK) researches have been conducted on chemical drugs, few have been in the field of Chinese medicine (CM). Each ingredient in CMs possesses different pharmacokinetic characteristics, therefore, it is important to develop methods of PPK studies on them to identify the differences in CM drug safety and efficacy among the population subgroups and to conduct quantitative studies on the determinants of CM drug concentrations. To develop an expert consensus on study design and implementation for PPK of CM, in August 2013, 6 experts in the field of PPK, CMs pharmacology, and statistics discussed problems on the PPK research protocol of CMs, and a consensus was reached. The medicines with toxicity and narrow therapeutic windows and with wide range of target population or with frequent adverse reactions were selected. The compositions with definite therapeutic effects were selected as indices, and specific time points and sample sizes were designed according to standard PPK design methods. Target components were tested through various chromatography methods. Total quantity statistical moment analysis was used to estimate PPK parameters of each component and PPK models reflecting the trend of CMs (which assists in reasonable adjustments on clinical dosage). This consensus specifies the study design and implementation process of PPK. It provides guidance for the following: post-marketing clinical studies, in vivo investigations related to the metabolism in different populations, and development and clinical adjustment of dosages of CMs.

Advantages of population pharmacokinetics and its application in the field of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

The accurate medical treatment is based on the information of the genome, which is the best treatment for the patients. Population pharmacokinetic study can be formulated according to the individual differences of patients to the dose, in the accurate medical model which has a unique advantage. At present, there are many problems such as adverse drug reaction in Chinese traditional medicine, and it is necessary to introduce a group of medicine on the basis of precise medical treatment. However, due to the different characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine and chemical medicine, it is necessary to combine the population pharmacokinetics, genetics and statistical methods to establish a research method which is in line with the characteristics of Chinese medicine. The key scientific problem is to make clear the active components of Chinese medicine metabolism of the drug metabolic enzyme gene, and pay attention to the analysis of the polymorphism of the overall role of drug metabolism enzymes in the human body. Clear key scientific issues and break through the bottleneck, so as to achieve the precise medical treatment, to international.

Expert consensus on population pharmacokinetics of Chinese medicine ( draft version for comments) / 中国中药杂志

In population pharmacokinetic (PPK) research of Chinese medicines with narrow therapeutic windows of toxicity, or when the target population is not homogeneous, or when there are frequent adverse reactions to parenterally administered Chinese medicine, select those that have a definite therapeutic effect, and in which the compositions of the toxic substances compositions are known, for study, and use complete PPK sampling design to take samples at specific time points. Use gas chromatography, HPLC, and LC-MS methods for the detection of target components. Finally, use total quantity statistical moment analysis, to account for each component of the PPK parameters. Thus, PPK model can reflect the overall trend of Chinese medicine, to provide the basis for reasonable clinical dosage adjustments.

Population pharmacokinetics of naringin in total flavonoids of Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J. Sm. in Chinese women with primary osteoporosis / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of covariates on the pharmacokinetic profiles of naringin in the total flavonoids of Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J. Sm. in the Qianggu Capsule () by evaluating Chinese women with primary osteoporosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 98 female patients from the communities of Jingshan, Beixinqiao, Jiaodaokou, Chaoyangmen, and Donghuamen in Beijing, China, aged 40 to 80 years, were included in this study. Blood samples were collected before and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after a single oral dose of Qianggu Capsule. The concentration in blood samples from 32 patients before and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 h after drug administration were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method, and full set of pharmacokinetic data was analyzed with nonlinear mixed-effect modeling (NONMEM) software. The mean of population parameters clearance (C1), central distribution volume (V), absorption rate constant (Ka1), inter-compartmental clearance (C2), peripheral distribution volume (V2) were set as parameters and estimated through base model, covariate model, and final model. Age, height, weight, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), hyperlipidemia, Liver (Gan) Kidney (Shen) yin insufficiency (GSYI), Kidney (Shen) yang insufficiency (SYI) were set as covariates.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The relationships between these parameters and covariates were analyzed. The results showed that C1 was the main parameter influenced by the selected covariates among the population parameters, and the relationships between the covariates and C1 were analyzed, among the selected covariates hyperlipidemia was identified as significant covariate of C1.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The pharmacokinetic behaviors of naringin are altered with hyperlipidemia in Chinese women with primary osteoporosis.</p>

Experimental study of the total flavonoid in Hypericum perforatum on depression / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate pharmacological effects of the total flavonoid in Hypericum perforatum on depression.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Experimental depression was induced by subcutaneous injection of reserpine in mice. The concentration of monoamine transmitters including 5-HT and NE, the activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in brain and reserpine-induced symptoms of depression, such as ptosis, attenuation of autonomous activity, behavioral despair, acquired helplessness and sleep, were measured respectively to evaluate the effects of the total flavonoid in H. perforatum on the depression.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The total flavonoid in H. perforatum significantly decreased the activity of MAO, inhibited the ptosis and the attenuation of autonomous behavior induced by reserpine respectively. The levels of 5-HT and NE were also attenuated by the total flavonoid in H. perforatum remarkably. In addition, the total flavonoid in H. perforatum was shown to inhibit behavioral despair and acquired helplessness and to prolong the sleep time in the mice. Following the treatment with the total flavonoid in H. perforatum, 5-THP, at the dosage without any side-effects, caused the tremble in the mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results indicate that total flavonoid in H. perforatum can significantly inhibit the depression.</p>