Network pharmacology approaches for research of Traditional Chinese Medicines / 中国天然药物

Pharmacodynamics material basis and effective mechanisms are the two main issues to decipher the mechnisms of action of Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of diseases. TCMs, in "multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway" paradigm, show satisfactory clinical results in complex diseases. New ideas and methods are urgently needed to explain the complex interactions between TCMs and diseases. Network pharmacology (NP) provides a novel paradigm to uncover and visualize the underlying interaction networks of TCMs against multifactorial diseases. The development and application of NP has promoted the safety, efficacy, and mechanism investigations of TCMs, which then reinforces the credibility and popularity of TCMs. The current organ-centricity of medicine and the "one disease-one target-one drug" dogma obstruct the understanding of complex diseases and the development of effective drugs. Therefore, more attentions should be paid to shift from "phenotype and symptom" to "endotype and cause" in understanding and redefining current diseases. In the past two decades, with the advent of advanced and intelligent technologies (such as metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, single-cell omics, and artificial intelligence), NP has been improved and deeply implemented, and presented its great value and potential as the next drug-discovery paradigm. NP is developed to cure causal mechanisms instead of treating symptoms. This review briefly summarizes the recent research progress on NP application in TCMs for efficacy research, mechanism elucidation, target prediction, safety evaluation, drug repurposing, and drug design.

Key to Indigo Naturalis' oral effectiveness: in vivo and in vitro verification of bile action / 中国中药杂志

Indigo Naturalis( IN) is mainly composed of 10% organic matter and 90% inorganic matter,with a poor wettability and strong hydrophobicity. Indigo,indirubin and effective ingredients are almost insoluble in water. And how it exerts its effect after oral administration still needs to be revealed. For this reason,this study put forward the hypothesis that " Indigo Naturalis forms a slightly soluble calcium carbonate carrier in a strong acid environment of gastric fluid,and organic substances are solubilized in the bile environment of intestinal fluid",and then verified the hypothesis. First,the dissolution apparatus was used to simulate the change process of IN in different digestive fluid,and the effects of low-dose and normal bile on the dissolution of inorganic substances and the release of organic substances were compared. After the surface morphology and element changes of IN in different digestive fluid were observed,it was found that bile is the key to promoting the dissolution of organic and inorganic substances in IN. Furthermore,the rat fever model induced by 2,4-dinitrophenol was used to study the antipyretic effect of IN in normal rats and bile duct ligation rats. It was found that the antipyretic effect of IN on normal rats was better than that of bile duct ligation rats. The above results indicated that after oral administration of IN,the calcium carbonate carrier was transformed into a slightly soluble state in acidic gastric fluid,and a small amount of organic matter was released. When IN entered the intestinal fluid mixed with bile,the carrier dissolved in a large amount,and indigo and indirubin were dissolved in a large amount,so as to absorb the blood and exert the effect. This study has a certain significance for guiding clinical application of IN. For patients with insufficient bile secretion( such as bile duct resection),oral administration with IN may not be effective and shall be paid attention.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Pathogenesis and Treatment of Malignant Lymphoma / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Malignant lymphoma is a common malignancy. From the perspective of the traditional Chinese medi-cine (TCM), the etiology and pathogenesis of malignant lymphoma are related to dampness, phlegm, toxicity, stasis and deficiency. Basic TCM principles for lymphoma syndrome differentiation and treatment are to strengthen the body resistance and eliminate pathogenic factors. Eliminating dampness, dissolving phlegm, detoxification, dissolv-ing stasis and strengthening body resistance are the principal TCM therapeutic methods for lymphoma treatment. Contemporary TCM physicians have developed Yi-Hua decoction, Zi-Niu powder, Ke-Liu capsule, Wu's Xiao-Liu powder and other herbal formulas, and 37 patents based on Chinese herbs and or herbal components. The effective mechanisms of TCM treatment for lymphoma are involved in inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, and regulating immune function. There is a great need to study anti-cancer herbs for lymphoma treat-ment.

Efforts to Form an Effective Mechanism for Teaching and Research Results-based Management / 国际中医中药杂志

Teaching and research are of great significance for university teaching and educating. In order to establish effective mechanisms for teaching and research results-based management, we should reach consensus on emphasizing teaching research, regulate teaching and research project application, optimize project selecting design, think highly of the process control and continuous improvement in teaching and research, work on the results publicity, promotion and application, and at the same time raise the overall quality of teaching administrators.