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Interleukin-6(IL-6)is a pleiotropic cytokine produced by monocytes, macrophages, T lymphocytes and other cell types. It is significantly up-regulated in the process of infection and inflammation, and is the core cytokine of the host's defense against environmental stresses(such as injury and infection). Abnormal and persistent IL-6 production is closely associated with the development of various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. A growing number of studies have shown that IL-6 plays a critical role in ocular inflammation and angiogenesis in the conjunctiva, cornea, uvea and retina. Blockade of IL-6 ameliorates chronic and refractory intraocular inflammation. This article aims to review the role as well as the mechanism of IL-6 in ocular inflammatory diseases, attempting to have a deep and systematic understanding of the role of IL-6 in ocular inflammatory diseases.
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Atractylodis Rhizoma is a kind of commonly used clinical Chinese medicine （TCM）， which was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing （《神农本草经》）. At that time， it was called "Zhu"， which is the general name of Atractylodis Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma. After Song dynasty， Atractylodis Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma were separated. Atractylodis Rhizoma can be divided into Atractylodes lancea and A. chinensis. In history， A. lancea as authentic， that its quality is better than A. chinensis. However， the quality of Atractylodis Rhizoma was evaluated by the index component atractylodin in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The general results showed that the content of atractylodin in A. lancea was low， even failed to meet the specified standard， and its content in A. chinensis was significantly higher than that in A. lancea. The results were inconsistent with the records of ancient books and documents， and the quality theory of "genuine medicine is the best". It could not reflect the quality advantage of genuine Atractylodis Rhizoma， and may even affect the clinical application and development momentum of genuine medicine. In short， the quality standard of TCM should not only conform to the historical experience， but also have the connotation of modern science and technology， which can stand the test of practice. Based on this， the author intends to sort out relevant laws and regulations， sort out the literature related to the authenticity， composition and efficacy of Atractylodis Rhizoma， and analyze the rationality of the current standard of Atractylodis Rhizoma by integrating the relevant records of historical classics and modern research results， so as to provide a basis for the improvement of the quality standard of Atractylodis Rhizoma.
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Scutellariae Radix is a commonly used Chinese medicinal first recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica. In the ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), Scutellariae Radix is used in two specifications, solid one(Ziqin) and hollow one(Kuqin). In the current rules and regulations of Chinese medicine, Scutellariae Radix is used without the specific requirements for the specifications applied. To clarify the evolution of Scutellariae Radix specifications and analyze the current specifications of Scutellariae Radix pieces, the present study reviews the Scutellariae Radix from ancient literature, modern rules and regulations, and differences between Ziqin and Kuqin in composition, efficacy, and transformation mechanism. According to the research on ancient books, Kuqin is effective in clearing the fire of the upper energizer, and Ziqin in purging the heat of the lower energizer. Modern studies have revealed that Kuqin and Ziqin are significantly different in chemical components, and Ziqin and Kuqin target the colon and lung, respectively, which are consistent with the relevant records in ancient books. The review study suggests that the two specifications of Scutellariae Radix are reasonable since they can facilitate the precise treatment of Scutellariae Radix.
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Literature, Modern , Materia Medica , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Scutellaria baicalensisABSTRACT
Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is an important technique to solve bone defect problems. In this technique, GBR barrier membranes play an irreplaceable role. GBR membranes can act as a barrier protecting fibroblasts from bone defects and promote osteoblast adhesion and proliferation, leading to bone regeneration. GBR barrier membranes should be enhanced because of the disadvantages of collagen membranes, which are extensively applied to the field of GBR. Therefore, various efforts have been devoted to modifying the antibacterial and osteogenic properties of GBR barrier membranes and developing novel materials. This article reviews the research advancements on the modification of GBR barrier membranes and discover future directions for the development of GBR barrier membranes to provide a reference for bone tissue engi-neering and repair.
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Bone Regeneration , Collagen , Membranes, Artificial , Osteoblasts , OsteogenesisABSTRACT
In order to establish a more perfect evaluation system for dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma, determine the main dry parts of Atractylodis Rhizoma，and further define the mechanism of stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma in reducing the dryness. The healthy rats were given with different doses of water extract and volatile oil of raw Atractylodis Rhizoma and stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma for 21 days. Based on the theory of the dry-dry and dryness-induced Yin deficiency, the amount of drinking water, tissue morphology of submandibular glands, urine volume and the expression of aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in the kidneys, as well as blood rheology, ratio of cAMP/cGMP in serum and the content of Na⁺-K⁺-ATP enzyme were selected as the evaluation indexes. The results indicated that the rats with high dose volatile oil from raw Atractylodis Rhizoma had a significant increase in the amount of drinking water, urine volume, blood viscosity, ratio of cAMP/cGMP and content of Na⁺-K⁺-ATP enzyme in the serum（<0.05）as compared with the soybean oil group; meanwhile, atrophy of submandibular acinar gland was obvious，and the expression of aquaporin 2 was reduced significantly（<0.05）. There were significant differences between volatile oil high dose group of raw Atractylodis Rhizoma and volatile oil high dose group of stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma. There was no significant difference between the water extract groups of raw and stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma and the saline group. A comprehensive evaluation system for the dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma was established. It was confirmed that the volatile oil part was the main dry part of Atractylodis Rhizoma. It revealed that the mechanism of dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma was not only related to the decrease of the total content of the volatile oil, but also may be related to the transformation of dryness components in the volatile oil. It provides references for the study of material basis of Atractylodis Rhizoma dryness, provides an experimental basis for the clinical application of Atractylodis Rhizoma, further clarifies the mechanism of stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma in reducing the dryness, and provides thoughts for the evaluation of other dry traditional Chinese medicines.
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Objective To investigate the effect of transcriptional internediary factor 1 gamma (Tif1γ)and its signal pathway related proteinson apoptosis of human pancreatic cancer cell line Capan-1 treated with either gemcitabine (GEM) or raltitrexed (RTX).Methods Capan-1 cells were treated with GEM of 559 μmol/L or RTX of 0.86 μmol/L for 36 h.The cell apoptosis of Capan-1 was determined using flow cytometry.Protein levels of Tif1γ,TGF-β1,Smad3,p-Smad3,Smad4,Bcl2,BAX and Caspase3 in Capan-1 cells were determined by Western blot.Results The late apoptosis and death ratio after RTX treatment were 28.7％ ± 5.1％ and 3.7％ ± 0.5％,respectively,showing significant difference from that after GEM treatment or untreated control group (P＜0.01).The results of Western blot showed that the relative protein levels of Tif1 γ,TGF-β1,p-Smad3,BAX and Caspase3 in Capan-1 cells were increased in RTX group compared with those in GEM group or control group (P＜0.05).The relative protein levels of Smad4 and the Bcl2/Bax ratio were decreased in RTX group compared with those in GEM group or control group (P＜0.05).Conclusions Increased level of Til1γ by RTX treatment resulted in decreased level of Smad4 to regulate the balance of Bcl2/Bax,increased Caspase3 and increased apoptosis in Capan-1 cells.
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Hyoscyami Semen, the mature dried seed of Hyoscyamus niger L., has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat human diseases. Hyoscyami Semen is found in local markets in China. In markets, sellers and buyers commonly inadvertently mix the seeds of H. niger with the seeds of related species such as Hygrophila salicifolia (Vahl) Nees, Astragalus complanatus R. Br., Cuscuta australis R. Br., Cuscuta chinensis Lam., and Impatiens balsamina L. because of their similar morphologies or similar names. Thus, developing a reliable method for discriminating H. niger seeds from its adulterants is necessary to reduce confusion and ensure the safe use of Hyoscyami Semen. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of high-resolution melting analysis combined with DNA barcoding (Bar-HRM) with internal transcribed spacer 2 to discriminate H. niger. Our results show that Bar-HRM successfully identified the adulterants and detected the proportion of H. niger DNA extract within an admixture. In particular, HRM detected H. niger DNA extract in A. complanatus DNA extract at concentrations as low as 1%. In conclusion, the Bar-HRM method developed in the present study for authenticating H. niger is rapid and cost-effective. It can be used in the future to guarantee the purity of Hyoscyami Semen for the clinical use.
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China , DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic , Methods , DNA, Intergenic , Chemistry , Genetics , DNA, Plant , Chemistry , Genetics , Discriminant Analysis , Drug Contamination , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Chemistry , Hyoscyamus , Genetics , Seeds , Genetics , Transition TemperatureABSTRACT
This study aimed to identify Inulae Herba, Inulae Flos and their closely related species using the ITS2 bar-code, and secure the quality and clinical curative effect of these medicinal materials. DNA was extracted from Inula linariifolia, I. japonica, I. britanica, which are the original species of Inulae Herba and Inulae Flos, together with their closely related species. The ITS2 sequence was amplified by PCR and sequenced bidirectionally. Sequence assembly and generation of consensus sequence were conducted by the CodonCode Aligner. The genetic distances were comput-ed using MEGA 5.0 in accordance with the Kimura-2-parameter (K2P) model, and the phylogenetic tree constructed by the neighbor-joining (NJ) method. The results showed that the ITS2 sequences of the various species have stable variable sites. The intraspecific genetic distances among Inulae Herba and Inulae Flos were obviously lower than the interspecific genetic distance among the above two medicinal materials and its adulterants. The NJ tree based on ITS2 sequences can clearly differ from Inulae Herba, Inulae Flos and their closely related species. It is concluded that ITS2 sequence can be used as DNA barcode to identify Inulae Herba, Inulae Flos and their closely related species.
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Descurainiae, Lepidii Semen and their it adulterants were identified by analysising their ITS2 sequences. The genomic DNA was extracted from 46 samples including Descurainiae and Lepidii Semen and their it adulterants. Their ITS2 sequences were amplified, and purified PCR products were sequenced. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed using CodonCode Aligner v 4.25. The genetic distances, variable sites and the neighbor-joning (NJ) phylogenetic tree were computed by MEGA 6.0 in accordance with the Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model. The results showed that the intra-specific genetic distances of Descurainia sophia and Lepidium apetalum were 0.021 and 0.010, which were smaller than inter-specific ones of D. sophia, L. apetalum and their adulterants. The NJ tree showed that both D. sophia and L. apetalum were clustered into one monophyletic branch, and clearly separated with their sibling species. Therefore ITS2 sequence was able to identify Descurainiae and Lep-idii Semen and its adulterants to ensure the quality of medicines and clinical efficacy.
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The misuse of toxic drugsisseriousone of the threats of public health. In this study, toxic Hyoscyami Semen and its adulterants were identified by DNA barcoding. The genomic DNA was extracted from 61 samples including Hyoscyami Semen and its adulterants by reagent kit method. Their ITS2 sequences were amplified, and purified PCR products were sequenced. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed using CodonCode Aligner v 4.25. The genetic distances, variable sites and the neighbor-joning (NJ) phylogenetic tree were computed by MEGA 6.0 in accordance with the Kimura 2-parameter(K2P) model. The results showed that the intra-specific genetic distances of Hyoscyamusniger were 0.005 which were smaller than inter -specific ones (0.360) of H. niger and their adulterants. The NJ tree showed that H. niger was clustered into one monophyletic branch, and clearly separated with other species. Therefore, ITS2 sequence was able to identify Hyoscyami Semen and its adulterants to ensure the safty of medicines.
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In this study,Polygalae radix and its adulterants were identified by psbA-trnH sequence.The genomic DNA was extracted from forty-six samples, the psbA-trnH sequences were amplified and sequenced Bi-directionally, and then assembled sequences by Codoncode Aligner V 3.7.1. The genetic distances were computed by kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model, and the Neighbor-Joining tree was constructed by MEGA 6.0. Results showed that minimum intra-specific K2P distance of Polygala tenuifolia and Polygala sibirica were 0.004 and 0, which were smaller than the maximum intra-specific K2P. The NJ tree showed Polygalae radix can be distinguished from its adulterants by psbA-trnH sequences. Therefore, using psbA-trnH sequences can distinguish Polygalae radix from its adulterants.
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To explore a new method to identify Moutan Cortex to guarantee its safe use, internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence was used to identify Moutan Cortex and its adulterants. DNA was extracted and target fragments were amplified. Sequences were analyzed and assembled by CodonCode Aligner V3.7.1. Genetic distances were computed and phylogenetic tree was constructed based on kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model by MEGA 5.0. The length of the 20 ITS2 sequences of Moutan Cortex from nine different places is 227 bp, and no variation site was detected. The maximum inter-specificK2P distance of Moutan Cortex is 0, the minimum intra-specific K2P distance is 0.041, the average intra-specific K2P distance is 0.222. According to NJ analysis, Moutan Cortex from different places can get together as one branch with bootstrap support values 99%, which indicates Moutan Cortex can be easily distinguished from its adulterants. Using ITS2 sequence can accurately identify Moutan Cortex and its adulterants, it is an effective supplementary to traditional identification methods.
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Base Sequence , China , DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic , Methods , DNA, Plant , Genetics , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer , Genetics , Drug Contamination , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Chemistry , Classification , Molecular Sequence Data , Paeonia , Classification , Genetics , Phylogeny , Quality ControlABSTRACT
In order to evaluate the efficiency of ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences used as DNA barcodes to distinguish Plantaginis Semen from its adulterants, we collected 71 samples of Plantaginis Semen and its adulterants. The ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences were aligned through Clustal W, and the genetic distances were calculated by kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model and the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA 5.1. The results indicated that the ITS2 sequence lengths of Plantago asiatica and P. depressa were 199 bp and 200 bp, respectively; the maximum intra-specific K2P distance were lower than the minimum inter-specific K2P distance; the NJ tree based on ITS2 sequence indicated that Plantaginis Semen and its adulterants could be distinguished clearly. The sequence lengths of psbA-trnH of both P. asiatica and P. depressa were 340 bp; the maximum intra-specific K2P distances were lower than the minimum inter-specific K2P distance; the NJ tree based on psbA-trnH sequence showed that Plantaginis Semen can be distinguished clearly from its adulterants except for P. major. Therefore, ITS2 sequences can be used as an ideal DNA barcode to distinguish Plantaginis Semen from its adulterants.
Subject(s)
Base Sequence , DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic , Methods , DNA, Plant , Genetics , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer , Genetics , Drug Contamination , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Chemistry , Classification , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , Plant Proteins , Genetics , Plantago , Classification , Genetics , Quality Control , Seeds , Classification , GeneticsABSTRACT
Objective: This study aimed to discriminate between Eupatorii Herba and its adulterants in order to guarantee the quality and clinical curative effect of this medicinal material. Methods: Genomic DNA extracted from Eupatorii Herba was used as templates. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA was amplified. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed by CodonCode Aligner. The intraspecific and interspecific genetic distances of Eupatorii Herba and its adulterants were computed by MEGA5 and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method. Results: The length of ITS2 sequence of Eupatorii Herba was 218 bp. The maximum intraspecific genetic distance (K2P distance) of Eupatorii Herba was 0.0092. The minimum interspecific genetic distance of Eupatorii Herba and its adulterants was 0.024. The NJ trees showed that the ITS2 sequence would be used to identify Eupatorii Herba and its adulterants. Con-clusion: ITS2 sequence was able to identify Eupatorii Herba and its adulterants correctly and it provided a new technique to ensure clinical safety in utilization of traditional Chinese medicines.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of tanshinone II A on the cell signal transduction system protein kinase B (Akt) in rats with hypertrophy of the myocardium induced by partial constriction of the thoracic aorta.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rat models of myocardial hypertrophy were established by the thoracic aorta partial constriction method. Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into the sham-operative group, the model group, the valsartan treatment group, and the low-, medium-, and high-dose tanshinone treatment groups. The heart mass index (HMI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW), and interventricular septal thickness (IVS) were detected by high-frequency ultrasonography. The myocardial fiber diameter (MFD) was detected by HE staining, and the contents of p-Akt and p-Gsk3beta in the myocardium were detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the sham-operative group, the levels of HMI, LVMI, LVPW, IVS, and MFD were increased respectively in the other groups (P<0.05); the contents of p-Akt and p-Gsk3beta were also increased in the other groups. Compared with the model group, the levels of HMI, LVMI, LVPW, IVS, and MFD were decreased respectively in all treatment groups (P<0.05); the contents of p-Akt and p-Gsk3beta were decreased in all treatment groups as well. There was no significant difference, however, among the low-, medium-, and high-dose tanshinone treatment groups and the valsartan treatment group (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tanshinone II A can prevent myocardial hypertrophy by its action on the protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway.</p>
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Animals , Rats , Cardiomegaly , Abietanes , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Phenanthrenes , Pharmacology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt , Metabolism , Signal TransductionABSTRACT
Objective To study the survival,migration and differentiation of the neural stem cells which transplanted into ventral horn of spinal cord after brachial plexus avulsion.Methods Neural stem ceils isolated from spinal cord of neogenetic rats and cultured,expanded,labeled by BrdU before transplanted. Twenty adult healthy SD rats preformed as the model of brochial plexus avulsion(Roots C_(5～7)),then transplan- rod stem ceils into the C_6 ventral horn of spinal cord.On 1,2,4,8,12 weeks postoperatively,immunohisto- chemistry assay were carried out in the spinal cord.Results Transplanted into ventral horn of spinal cord after brachial plexus avulsion.Neural stem cells can survive,migrate for at least one segment of spinal cord and differentiate to neurons and astrocytes.The differentiation of stem cells were time-depends.Conclusion Neural stem cells can survive,migrate and differentiate after transplanted into ventral horn of spinal cord in the rats which suffered from brachial plexus avulsion.