Mechanism of emodin in relieving neuropathic pain by regulating serum metabolism / 中国中药杂志

The present study investigated the effect of emodin on the serum metabolite profiles in the chronic constriction injury(CCI) model by non-target metabolomics and explored its analgesic mechanism. Twenty-four Sprague Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into a sham group(S), a CCI group(C), and an emodin group(E). The rats in the emodin group were taken emodin via gavage once a day for fifteen days(50 mg·kg~(-1)) on the first day after the CCI surgery. Mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT) and thermal withdrawal threshold(TWL) in each group were performed before the CCI surgery and 3,7, 11, and 15 days after surgery. After 15 days, blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta. The differential metabolites were screened out by non-target metabolomics and analyzed with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) and ingenuity pathway analysis(IPA). From the third day after CCI surgery, the MWT and TWL values were reduced significantly in both CCI group and emodin group, compared with the sham group(P<0.01). At 15 days post-surgery, the MWT and TWL values in emodin group increased significantly compared with the CCI group(P<0.05). As revealed by non-target metabolomics, 72 differential serum metabolites were screened out from the C-S comparison, including 41 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated ones, while 26 differential serum metabolites from E-C comparison, including 10 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated ones. KEGG analysis showed that the differential metabolites in E-C comparison were enriched in the signaling pathways, such as sphingolipid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. IPA showed that the differential metabolites were mainly involved in the lipid metabolism-molecular transport-small molecule biochemistry network. In conclusion, emodin can exert an analgesic role via regulating sphingolipid metabolism and arginine biosynthesis.

Efficacy of yindan xinnaotong soft capsule on cerebral infarction reconvalescents of static blood blocking collaterals syndrome: a randomized controlled study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsule (YXSC) on cerebral infarction (CI) reconvalescents of static blood blocking collaterals syndrome (SBBCS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 118 CI reconvalescents of SBBCS were randomly assigned to the test group (treated by YXSC) and the control group [treated by Naoxintong Capsule (NC)], 59 in each group. The therapeutic course for all was 12 weeks. Changes of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Barthel Index (BI), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Chinese medical syndrome scores, and serum lipid indices were observed in the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the patient proportion of improving activities of daily life by more than or equal to 75 score was elevated (80.7% vs 62.5%; P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, the NIHSS score decreased at post-treatment 4, 8, and 12 weeks in the two groups (P < 0.05). The patient proportion of dropped NIHSS score by more than or equal to 5 score was lowered (80.7% vs 57.14%), and the total effective rate of improving Chinese medical syndromes was superior in the test group after 12-week treatment (89.47% vs 71.43%, all P < 0.05). After 12-week treatment there was no statistical difference in the patient proportion of lowering mRS lower than or equal to 2 or blood lipids between the two groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>YXSC showed certain effect in improving activities of daily life, attenuating the neurological impairment, and elevating the total effective rate of improving Chinese medical syndromes in CI patients in the recovery stage.</p>