Network Pharmacology Study on Mechanism of Danggui Sinitang in Treating Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::This paper aims to explore the potential anti-neoplasm targets and mechanism of Danggui Sinitang on hepatocellular carcinoma by analyzing the prescription of Danggui Sinitang with the method of network pharmacology, in order to provide targeted guidance for further studies. Method::The Traditional Chinese Medicine System Platform (TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction database were adopted to establish the database of Danggui Sinitang' s effective ingredients and targets. The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), and Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) were used to build the hepatocellular carcinoma target database, which was then matched with Danggui Sinitang' s target database. Based on the matching results, STRING database was applied to analyze the interactions between the targets and the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was utilized for the enrichment analysis on gene ontology (GO) biological process and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. Then Cytoscape 3.6.0 software was used for networks analysis. Result::A total of 56 significant targets of Danggui Sinitang were found for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. The 106 cellular biological processes were obtained through GO biological process enrichment analysis and 23 related pathways were obtained by KEGG enrichment analysis, mainly including TNF signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) signaling pathway, AMP activated protein kinase(AMPK) signaling pathway, Janus kinase(JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription(STAT) signaling pathway, et al. Conclusion::The therapeutic effect of Danggui Sinitang on hepatocellular carcinoma may be multi-target, multi-channel and multi-level. It can be inferred that quercetin and kaempferol may be two important active components, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway may be two important signaling pathways. This study not only makes a contribution to a better understanding of the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma mechanism of Danggui Sinitang, but also proposes a strategy to develop new TCM candidates at a network pharmacology level.

Association of electronic devices usage and visual fatigue in Chinese college students / 眼科新进展

Objective To investigate the prevalence of visual fatigue among Chinese college students with the usage of electronic products.Methods A total of 6000 college students were recruited from 127 universities in 29 cities (except Taiwan,Qinghai,Tibet,Ningxia and Xinjiang).The questionnaire involved questions pertaining to the dependence of electronic products,use of electronic products in dormitory,home,vehicles,and prevalence of visual fatigue.Logistic regression was performed to analyze the potential risk factors for visual fatigue.Results A total of 4848 questionnaires were valid,involving 2259 male and 2589 female students.The results revealed that the incidence of visual fatigue in Chinese college students was 53.5％,a higher rate in females than in males.And 33.8％ of whole group admitted that they had become relied on electronic products.The proportion of electronic products used at the table,on the bed,transport equipment reached 91.3％,87.6％ and 74.8％,respectively.In terms of the usage duration,38.3％ of surveyed students use mobile phone,Tablet PC over 4 hours per day,with 29.7％ using electronic products over 1 hour on the bed and 49.1％ in vehicles over 0.5 hour.Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the prevalence of visual fatigue were related to gender,dependence on electronic products,the use of electronic products in dormitory,home,vehicles.Conclusion The prevalence of visual fatigue is relatively high among Chinese college students,which may be associated with the following several factors,including gender,dependence on electronic products and the use of electronic products in dormitory,home and vehicles.

Design and optimization of technology for orientation generated indigo in processing of Indigo Naturalis / 中草药

Objective: Screening the influencing factors that affect the indigo-generated significantly in processing of Indigo Naturalis, the levels were optimized and combined to obtain the optimum technology for the indigo-generated. Methods: Using an HPLC method for determining indigo in crude Indigo Naturalis and taking indigo content generated from fresh leaf as an index, the significantly influencing factors and the optimal level combination were screened by the statistical methods of Plackett-Burman design and Box-Behnken design response surface analysis. Results: The soaking and making indigo process of Indigo Naturalis was identified as the wax was not removed before soaking, soaking pH value was 3.5, and solvent volume (mL) : leaf mass (g) was 13. Soaked in dark at 25 °C for 24 h, and ventilation time of 30 min, then ammonia water was added to adjust pH value to 9. Conclusion: The soaking and making indigo process of Indigo Naturalis could be optimized systematically, it could be used to clarify the various factors on the impact of the active indigo in the process of Indigo Naturalis. At the same time, it could lay the foundation for the study on processing principle of Indigo Naturalis.

γδ T lymphocyte function and the polymorphism of T cell receptor V δ chain in lungs of asthmatic patients / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the function of gamma delta T lymphocytes and the polymorphism of T cell receptor V delta chain in the lungs of asthmatic patients and explore the role of gamma delta T cells in airway inflammation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid BALF was obtained from 7 asthmatic patients and 7 healthy control individuals. The percentage of gamma delta T cell in BALF was measured by flow cytometry. The gamma delta T cell in BALF was purified by magnetic labeled beads. Proliferous activity was examined by MTT assay. Cytokines secreted by gamma delta T cells in medium was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Polymorphism of T cell receptor V delta chain was detected by RT-PCR and gene scan analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proportion of gamma delta T cell in the BALF of asthmatic patients [(6.39+/-0.71)%] was significantly higher than that in control subjects [(2.62+/-0.37)%] (P<0.01). The proportion of macrophage in the BALF of asthmatic patients [(81+/-4)] was significantly lower than that in control subjects [(86+/-2)] (P<0.05). The proliferation rate of asthmatic patients [(284.2+/-43.6)%] was significantly higher than that of control subjects [(217.5+/-59.5)%] (P<0.05). Interleukin-4 secreted by gamma delta T cells of asthmatic patients [(18.9+/-3.1) pg/ml)] significantly increased when compared with the control subjects [(14.1+/-3.0) pg/ml] (P<0.05). The polymorphism of T cell receptor V delta chain was not significantly different between these two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The increase of gamma delta T cells in the lung of asthmatic patients further exacerbates Th1/Th2 disturbance and airway inflammation. Antigen recognition by gamma delta T cells is non-specific.</p>

Comparison of effectiveness of whole viral, N and N199 proteins by ELISA for the rapid diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Although severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been controlled, the subsequently emerging sporadic cases in 2004 emphasize the necessity of developing a rapid diagnostic method, which would be of great help in clinical diagnosis and also wild host screening. This study aims to establish an effective and rapid serological tool for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV by comparison among whole viral, N and N199 proteins by ELISA.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SARS-CoV N and N199 (a truncated nucleocapsid gene) genes were cloned, expressed, identified by Western blotting, and applied in screening of human and swine samples. Sera of SARS convalescent-phase patients, normal human sera, sera of patients with other respiratory diseases, and swine sera were screened by ELISA, with whole SARS-CoV F69, N and N199 proteins as antigens.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sensitivity and specificity of N and N199 proteins in human sera diagnosis were approximate (P = 0.743), which was higher than whole viral protein but the difference was not significant (P = 0.234). The N199 protein proved to be more specific in swine sera screening than whole viral and N protein (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>N199 protein is feasible in both clinical diagnosis and SARS-CoV reservoir screening.</p>