Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum franchetii Hua, a Chinese endemic medicinal species, and phylogenetic relationships of Polygonatum / 药学学报

italic>Polygonatum franchetii Hua is a medicinal plant endemic to China from Polygonatum Mill. The chloroplast genomes of two P. franchetii individuals sampled from two different habitats were sequenced by using the DNBSEQ-T7 high-throughput sequencing platform. After assembly and annotation, the two complete chloroplast genomes were characterized, and then comparative and phylogenetic analyses were performed with other published chloroplast genome sequences from Polygonatum. The whole chloroplast genomes of the two P. franchetii individuals were 155 942 and 155 962 bp in length, with a large single copy region (LSC, 84 670 and 84 722 bp), a small single copy region (SSC, 18 564 and 18 566 bp) and a pair of reverse repeats (IRa/IRb, 26 354 and 26 337 bp), respectively. Both of them contained 113 genes, including 79 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Comparative analyses showed that the genome length, the guanine and cytosine (GC) content, genes content and order were highly conserved between the two P. franchetii individuals and among different Polygonatum species. The detected repeat sequences, including dispersed repeats, tandem repeats and simple sequence repeats (SSRs), were also relatively similar in types and positions, though showing a slightly difference in number. No significant expansion or contraction of the inverted repeat regions was found. Sequences variation between the two P. franchetii individuals was lower than that among different Polygonatum species. Besides, coding sequences (CDS) showed less divergence than noncoding sequences, and sequence divergence of IRs regions was lower than that of the LSC and SSC regions, both intraspecifically and interspecifically. Eight sequences with high nucleotide diversity among different species were screened, all of which were found located in the LSC and SSC regions. Phylogenetic inference showed that all Polygonatum species clustered into a monophyletic clade with a 100% bootstrap value, within which, species in section Verticillata formed a distinct group, section Sibirica and section Polygonatum were sister groups. The two P. franchetii individuals grouped together and showed the closest phylogenetic affinity to P. stenophyllum Maxim., belonging to the section Verticillata. The chloroplast genome of P. franchetii and its phylogenetic position in Polygonatum were comprehensively investigated and clearly elucidated in this study, the results may lay a foundation for the resource development and utilization of P. franchetii, as well as further molecular identification and phylogenetic studies of medicinal Polygonatum species.

Study on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacodynamics of Zhonghua Dida Pill and its effect on inflammation in arthritis model rats / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Zhonghua Dieda Pills; To preliminarily explore its mechanism on adjuvant arthritis model rats.Methods:Three inflammatory models and two pain models were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Zhonghua Dieda Pills. After establishing the adjuvant arthritis rat model, the rats were divided into normal group, model group, dexamethasone group (0.8 mg/kg), and Zhonghua Dieda Pills (2.0, 1.0, 0.5 g/kg) groups according to random number table method. Each group was given corresponding drugs once a day for 5 weeks. The toe volume was measured at 1, 3 and 5 weeks after administration, and the swelling degree was calculated; the organ indices of rats were calculated and the histopathological changes of articular cartilage were observed by HE staining; the expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in joint tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results:Zhonghua Dieda Pills (2.0 g/kg) group significantly reduced the swelling of foot and plantar of rats, reduced the swelling of ear of mice, and reduced the dry weight of granuloma of rats ( P<0.05); Zhonghua Dieda Pills (1.4 g/kg) group significantly reduced the number of twisting of rats, and the pain threshold after 3 h of administration was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05); Zhonghua Dieda Pills (2.0 g/kg) group significantly reduced the swelling of the foot and metatarsal of arthritic rats after 3-5 weeks of administration ( P<0.05), decreased the thymus index ( P<0.05), and reduced the expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and TGF-β in joint tissues ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Zhonghua Dieda Pills have confirmed anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which may play a therapeutic role in adjuvant arthritis model rats by reducing the levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β, TNF-α and TGF-β.

Risk Factors of Hypogonadism in Male Patients with Hyperuricemia in Xinjiang / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo explore the risk factors of hypogonadism in male hyperuricemia （HUA） patients in Xinjiang. MethodsClinical data of 217 male patients with HUA admitted to the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from June 2021 to December 2022 were collected. Patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for hypogonadism were included in the case group （98 cases）， and patients with normal gonadism were included in the control group （119 cases）. The differences of different metabolic indexes between the two groups and the correlation of male hypogonadism were analyzed. ResultsCompared with those in normal gonadal function group， in hypogonadism group， age， waist circumference （WC）， body mass index （BMI）， the levels of fasting blood glucose （FPG）， fasting insulin （FINS）， insulin resistance index assessed by homeostasis model （HOMA-IR）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， blood uric acid （SUA） and sex hormone binding globulin （SHBG） were significantly increased； the levels of γ-glutamyltransferase （GGT）， 25-hydroxyvitamin D ［25（OH）D］， progesterone （P）， estradiol （E2）， dehydroepiandrosterone （DHEA） and serum free triiodothyronine （FT3） were significantly decreased （P < 0.05）； and the proportion of patients with obesity （OB）， non-alcoholic fatty liver （NAFLD）， hyperlipidemia （HLP）， hypertension （HBP）， coronary heart disease （CHD） and use of angiotensin receptor antagonist （ARB） and aspirin was significantly increased （P < 0.05）. Correlation analyses showed that free testosterone （FT） was negatively correlated with age， WC， BMI， FPG， FINS， HOMA-IR， SUA， SHBG and ALT， but positively correlated with 25（OH）D， P， E2， DHEA and FT3 （P < 0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that age， hypertension， BMI， SUA， ALT， 25（OH）D， HOMA-IR and WC were independent risk factors for hypogonadism （P < 0.05）. After multivariate adjustment， SUA remained an independent risk factor for hypogonadism ［OR = 1.009， 95%CI （1.004， 1.015）， P = 0.001］. ConclusionsMale HUA patients are often accompanied with hypogonadism. Age， hypertension， BMI， SUA， ALT， 25（OH）D， HOMA-IR and WC are independent risk factors of hypogonadism.

Professor ZHANG Wei-hua's clinical experience in chronic somatic pain treated with zhidong needling techniques / 中国针灸

The paper summarizes professor ZHANG Wei-hua's clinical experience for the treatment of chronic somatic pain with zhidong needling techniques. In terms of the characteristics of chronic somatic pain, professor ZHANG has integrated zhidong needling with acupuncture kinetic therapy. The satisfactory therapeutic effects are obtained by selecting the painful points and regions as the treatment sites and the specific techniques of zhidong needling depending on the size of affected area, the depth of illness, the size and shape of the cord-like muscle, etc. Five techniques of zhidong needling are used accordingly with twirling, pulling, lifting and thrusting, surrounding needling methods involved, as well as with the manipulation speed, direction and frequency considered.

Professor LI De-hua's experience in treating facial nerve injury after total parotidectomy with blade needle based on jingjin theory / 中国针灸

The paper summarizes the academic thought and clinical experience of professor LI De-hua in treatment of facial nerve injury after total parotidectomy with blade needle based on jingjin (muscle region of meridian, sinew/fascia) theory. This disease is located at muscle regions of hand-/foot-three yang meridians; and the sinew/fascia adhesion is its basic pathogenesis, manifested by "transversely-distributed collaterals" and "knotted tendons". In treatment, the knotted tendons are taken as the points. Using the relaxation technique of blade needle, the lesions of sinews/fascia are dissected and removed to release the stimulation or compression to the nerves and vessels so that the normal function of sinews/fascia can be restored.

ZHANG Wei-hua's clinical experience of Zhenjing Anshen method in treatment of insomnia / 中国针灸

The paper summarizes professor ZHANG Wei-hua's clinical experience in treatment of insomnia with Zhenjing Anshen (calming-down the spirit) method. It is believed that insomnia results from the unstable spirit in pathogenesis of TCM. The basic therapeutic principle is regulating the spirit, in which, stabilizing the primary spirit and tranquilizing the heart spirit are emphasized. Main acupoints are Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Yintang (GV 24+) to stabilize the primary spirit, located on the head; and Shenmen (HT 7) located on the wrist to calm-down the heart spirit, as well as Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Yongquan (KI 1) in the lower extremities to benefit yin and balance yang, and then to house the spirit eventually. The needles are inserted in different depths and to various directions. The external application of herbal plaster is combined at Yongquan (KI 1) and the supplementary acupoints are selected in terms of syndrome differentiation. This therapy is simple in acupoint selection and very effective in treatment of insomnia.

ZHANG Wei-hua's experience in clinical treatment of somatalgia with "point-zone-strip stimulation technique" of acupuncture / 中国针灸

The clinical experience in treatment of somatalgia with "point-zone-strip stimulation technique" of acupuncture of professor ZHANG Wei-hua was summarized. Professor ZHANG integrates the theories of the cutaneous region of meridian, biaoben, "taking tender point as acupoint" and local holography as a whole in treatment of somatalgia. The "point-stimulation technique" of acupuncture (subcutaneous needling technique) is adopted for the painful site less than 3 cm in diameter, the "zone-stimulation technique" (surrounding needling technique) is for the site larger than 3 cm in diameter and the "strip-stimulation technique" (cubit-tibia needling technique) is for various acute and chronic somatalgia. These three needling techniques are applicable singly or in combination in clinical practice.

Professor LIN Guo-hua's clinical experience in staging treatment for post-stroke dysphagia / 中国针灸

The paper summarizes professor LIN Guo-hua's clinical experience in staging treatment for post-stroke dysphagia. Professor LIN Guo-hua adheres to "essence and marrow deficiency and primary yang decline" as the pathogenesis and "conducting yin from yang " as the treating principle. By regulating the conception vessel and the governor vessel and focusing on yang meridians, in association with meridian differentiation and the location differentiation, professor LIN provides the staging treatment for post-stroke dysphagia. At the oral phase, yangming is dysfunction, manifested as facial paralysis and flaccid tongue. In treatment, reducing method is predominated at yangming meridian specially. At the pharyngeal phase, shaoyang is invaded by pathogens, manifested as pivoting dysfunction. The treatment focuses on communicating the exterior with the interior and promoting shaoyang meridian. At the esophageal phase, yangming meridian is deficiency and the turbid qi fails to descend, thus the reinforcing method is dominated to promote and tonify yangming. Additionally, the kinesiotherapy of acupuncture is assisted and the Lingnan fire needling therapy is used particularly. All of the summaries above provide the reference for the clinical treatment of post-stroke dysphagia.

Adequate Animal Models of Hyperuricemia for Traditional Chinese Medicine Screening / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To compare the characteristics of four commonly adopted animal models of hyperuricemia （HUA） for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） screening， so as to choose the adequate model for screening Chinese herbs and herbal compounds capable of lowering the uric acid. Method:Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into nine groups， namely the normal group， hypoxanthine （HX） + oxonic acid potassium salt （OAPS） model group， yeast extract （YE） + OAPS model group， low-dose adenine （AD） + ethambutol （EMB） model group， high-dose AD + EMB model group， and four positive drug allopurinol （Allo） groups. The modeling lasted for 14 d. The levels of serum uric acid （SUA）， urinary uric acid （UUA）， serum creatinine （SCr）， urea nitrogen （BUN）， kidney injury molecule 1 （KIM-1）， and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin （NGAL） were detected on the 3rd， 7th， and 14th days. Urine was collected on the 7th and 14th days to investigate changes in urine volume， and the crystals in the residual urine were observed under a polarizing microscope. After the modeling， the kidney was harvested and weighed， followed by pathological examination. Result:The urine volumes in the HX + OAPS model group and high-dose AD + EMB model group were significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The renal indexes of each model group， except for the YE + OAPS model group， were significantly elevated （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. The increase in SUA of the HX + OAPS model group and YE + OAPS model group started later （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The KIM-1 and NGAL levels of the HX + OAPS model group rose significantly from the 7th day （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the BUN increased significantly on the 14th day （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant difference in the above-mentioned indicators in the YE + OAPS model group. The SUA levels of the low- and high-dose AD + EMB model groups increased significantly on the 3rd day （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， with a persistent increase found in the low-dose AD + EMB model group. Besides， the increase in BUN， KIM-1， and NGAL occurred later （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. By contrast， the high-dose AD + EMB model group exhibited a transient increase in SUA. Moreover， the SCr， BUN， KIM-1， and NGAL elevation occurred earlier and were more obvious than those in the low-dose AD + EMB model group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Remarkable histomorphological abnormalities were detected in the kidney of all model groups， except for the YE+OAPS model group， with the most severe injury present in the high-dose AD+EMB model group. Conclusion:The four models commonly used to screen TCM have their own characteristics. In the four models， the SUA elevation in the HX + OAPS model group and YE + OAPS model group started later， with the mild renal injury observed in the HX + OAPS model group instead of the YE + OAPS model group. The SUA of the low-dose AD + EMB model group increased rapidly and lasted for a long time， accompanied by mild renal injury. The SUA of the high-dose AD + EMB model group only showed a transient increase， accompanied by severe renal injury. The investigation on the characteristics and application of different models and the evaluation of these models based on sensitive and objective indicators are helpful for determining the suitable model for the screening of TCM targeting HUA in the future.

Analysis on SSR loci in transcriptome and development of molecular markers in Polygonatum cyrtonema / 中草药

Objective: EST-SSR loci were identified and analyzed based on the transcriptome sequencing data in Polygonatum cyrtonema, in order to develop SSR markers suitable for evaluation and application of germplasm resources on P. cyrtonema. Methods: SSR loci were identified and analyzed in all of 126 544 Unigenes by using MISA tool. SSR primers were designed by using Primer 3.0 software and 50 pairs of SSR primers were randomly selected for validation test. Results: A total of 12 317 SSR loci, including the types of 2-6 nucleotide repeats with occurring frequency of 1/5.91 kb, were identified from 9 982 Unigenes in P. cyrtonema transcriptome. The distribution frequency of SSRs was 9.73%. Dinucleotide repeat was the main type, accounting for as much as 53.14% of all SSRs, followed by trinucleotide repeat (33.31%). The validation test on 50 pairs of SSR primers showed that 29 of them (58%) generated fragments with expected molecular size from P. cyrtonema. The capillary electrophoresis using fluorescence-labeled SSR markers showed that nine genotypes were identified at seven SSR loci in P. cyrtonema, which further demonstrated the validity of these SSR primers. Conclusion: There are numerous SSRs in P. cyrtonema transcriptome with high frequency, rich repeat types and relatively high polymorphic, which will provide abundant valuable candidate markers for genetic diversity analysis and genetic mapping construction in P. cyrtonema, also can be used as a technical tool for molecular identification among Polygonatum species and for molecular marker assistant breeding in superior cultivars of P. cyrtonema.

Study on genetic diversity and genetic variation law of Polygonatum cyrtonema / 中草药

Objective: To study the genetic diversity and geographical distribution of Polygonatum cyrtonema resources. Methods: ISSR technique was applied to analyze 118 individuals from 20 P. cyrtonema provenances in six provinces, including Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, and Zhejiang. Results: The results showed that 130 clear bands were amplified by 16 primers with 123 polymorphic bands and the average percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) was 94.62%, PPL within provenances was 33.85%-60.00%. Nei's genetic diversity index (He) was 0.183 8, Shannon's information index (I) was 0.267 4 and gene differentiation index (Gst) was 0.529 3. There were abundant genetic diversities existing in wild resources of P. cyrtonema. The UPGMA clustering analysis revealed that individuals from the same provenance were almost clustered together firstly, explaining that the genetic differentiation among different provenances was higher than those within provenances. When genetic similarity (GS) was 0.61, 118 germplasms can be divided into four categories, including Wuyi Mountains, Wuling and Luoxiao Mountains, Dabie Mountains, Donggong, and Tianmu Mountains. Conclusion: P. cyrtonema has high genetic diversity, genetic variation was closely related to mountains, and the isolation of plains and water areas between mountains was one of the main causes of genetic differentiation among groups. This study had essentially theoretical value and practical significance for the protection of the germplasm resources and the breeding of the species.

Phylogenetic and mutation point analysis of DNA barcoding sequences in Polygonatum cyrtonema / 中草药

Objective: In this work, phylogenetic analysis was used to compare the ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences of Polygonatum cyrtonema samples from different geographical sources, so as to explore the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of these resources. Methods: PCR method was used to amplify the regions of ITS and psbA-trnH, and the sequences of ITS2 and psbA-trnH were obtained after the amplified fragment sequences were blasted in NCBI database. The neighbor joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods were used to construct phylogenetic trees and Kimura two-parameter (K2-P) model was used to calculate the genetic distance of different samples. Mega and DNAman softwares were applied for mutiple alignment of ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences of 25 samples of P. cyrtonema. Results: The lengths of ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences of Anhui Qingyang and Fujian Taining samples of P. cyrtonema were 224 bp and 620 bp, respectively. The lengths of ITS2 and psbA-trnH of the remaining 24 samples were 225 bp and 621 bp, respectively. ITS2 and psbA-trnH had seven and four mutation points, respectively. These 25 samples were clustered into two groups based on ITS2 sequences. Five samples in Hunan and Guizhou were clustered into one group, while the other 20 samples were clustered into another group. The genetic distance showed that the samples from Huaxi and Jianhe in Guizhou Province and Jianyang in Fujian Province had the largest genetic distance. Phylogenetic tree constructed by psbA-trnH sequences were unable to distinguish 25 samples from different geographical sources. Conclusion: Phylogenetic and mutation analysis will provide the theoretic foundation to utilize the resources of P. cyrtonema, investigate their evolution, and evaluate their genuineness. The results of mutation point will also be used in the identification of related P. cyrtonema resources.

Influence of cultivation medium on growth of tissue cultured seedlings of Polygonatum cyrtonema / 中草药

Objective: To find a solution to the problems in the growth of tissue cultured seedlings of Polygonatum cyrtonema, such as low seedling survival rate, poor growth, and leaf disease. Method: In this study, tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema were used as testing plants. Two types of commercially-available cultivation medium commonly used in Fujian Province, as well as six types of cultivation medium mixed using peat soil, pearlite, roseite, sand, fungi residues and plant ash were used as the raw materials; Among them, a customized nutrient solution was added into the T5 and T7 cultivation media. Besides measuring the physicochemical properties of the cultivation media mentioned above, the study focused on the evaluation of their influence on the rate of grown-up seedlings, biological characteristics, growth biomass, strength index and incidence of leaf disease of P. cyrtonema. It also attempted to find the correlation between the physicochemical properties of the cultivation media and the biological characteristics, growth biomass, as well as the strength index of tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema. Results: The difference in the cultivation media had a great influence on the tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema in the rate of grown-up seedlings, biological characteristics, growth biomass, strength index and incidence of leaf disease. The difference in bulk density of the cultivation media had a notable negative correlation with the plant height of the tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema. The difference in the organic content of the cultivation media had a notable positive correlation with the fresh weight and dry weight of the tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema. Treated with the T5 cultivation medium we prepared, the tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema were in better growing condition in the rate of grown-up seedlings, morphological index, growth bomass, strength index, and no disease was found on the leaf. Conclusion: The prepared T5 was worth being widely used as the cultivation medium for growth of tissue cultured seedlings of P. cyrtonema.

Effects of cinobufacin on proliferation and expression of p-PTEN in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To observe the effect of cinobufacin on the expression of phosphorylated PTEN protein in human breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods The MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were divided into control group, high dose group and low dose group according to random number table method. Low and high dose groups were added with 0.5, 5.0 mg/ml cinobufacin, 100 μl/well for intervention, respectively, while the control group was added with equal volume of RPMI-1640 medium. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to detect cell proliferation assay at 24, 48, and 72 h following intervention. Immunoblotting was used to detect the expression of AKT/mTOR pathway protein expression and p-PTEN. Results At 24, 48, and 72 h after intervention, the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in high dose group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of p-AKT (MCF-7: 0.357 ± 0.064, 0.215 ± 0.056 vs. 0.924 ± 0.085; MDA-MB-231: 0.310 ± 0.022, 0.194 ± 0.019 vs. 0.811 ± 0.089), p-mTOR (MCF-7:0.476 ±0.039, 0.217 ±0.038 vs. 0.838 ±0.058; MDA-MB-231: 0.300 ±0.031, 0.223 ±0.025 vs. 0.896 ±0.096), p-S6 (MCF-7: 0.551 ±0.068, 0.428 ±0.041 vs. 1.254 ±0.264; MDA-MB-231: 0.281 ±0.014, 0.197 ±0.012 vs. 0.748 ±0.022), p-PTEN (MCF-7: 0.487 ±0.170, 0.184 ±0.135 vs. 1.003 ±0.284, P<0.05; MDA-MB-231: 0.261 ± 0.184, 0.170 ± 0.105 vs. 1.014 ± 0.206) in the low and high dose group significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusions Cinobufacin inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, which may be mediated by down-regulation of the expression of the upstream of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway p-PTEN.

's experience in treating dry eye syndrome with fire needling / 中国针灸

Professor - is the representative inheritor of fire needling therapy. He proposed that the clinical application of fire needling is mainly based on pattern differentiation according to eight priciples, as well as in coordination with the theories of meridians and - organs. He believes that dry eye syndrome can be treated from the aspects of deficiency of liver and kidney, heart deficiency, and and deficiency. Through deeply digging the connotation of ancient classics, and combined his clinical practice using fire needling, professor created a unique therapy that select "Neichengqi"as the main acupoint combined with Xialeidian, Dagukong (EX-UE 5), Xiaogukong (EX-UE 6) and Shaoze (SI 1) in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. In this paper, from the etiology and pathogenesis of dry eye syndrome and therapeutic characteristics of fire needling, the thoughts of syndrome differentiation and characteristics of acupoints selection of professor were analyzed by a typical case, and it is expect to enrich the clinical treatment plan for dry eye syndrome.

Study on secondary metabolites of endophytic fungus Aspergillus ochraceus from Polygonatum cyrtonema / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the secondary metabolites of Aspergillus ochraceus, an endophytic fungus isolated from Polygonatum Cyrtonema. Methods: Compounds were isolated and purified from the EtOAc extract by using chromatography technology and their structures were established on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. Results: A total of 15 compounds were obtained and their structures were elucidated as 6,7-dihydroindolizin-8(5H)-one (1), polygonatine A (2), 8-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-3-indolizinyl methyl acetate (3), 8-hydroxyketone (4), cyclo-(L-Leu-L-Ile) (5), alternariol (6), seco- patulolide C (7), n-butyl-β-D-fructopyranoside (8), Nb-acetyltryptamine (9), N-trans-cinnamoyltyramine (10), 5-hydroxy- methylfurfural (11), 5,7-dihydroxy-6,8-dimethyl-3-(4’-hydroxybenzyl) chroman-4-one (12), 5,7-dihydroxy-6-methyl-8- methoxy-3- (4’-hydroxybenzyl) chroman-4-one (13), 25R-3-β-hydroxyspirost-5-en-12-one (14), and 25S-3-β-hydroxyspirost-5-en-12-one (15). Conclusion: All chemical constituents are isolated from A. ochraceus for the first time.

Effects of cinobufacin on proliferation and expression of p-PTEN in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective@#To observe the effect of cinobufacin on the expression of phosphorylated PTEN protein in human breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells.@*Methods@#The MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were divided into control group, high dose group and low dose group according to random number table method. Low and high dose groups were added with 0.5, 5.0 mg/ml cinobufacin, 100 μl/well for intervention, respectively, while the control group was added with equal volume of RPMI-1640 medium. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to detect cell proliferation assay at 24, 48, and 72 h following intervention. Immunoblotting was used to detect the expression of AKT/mTOR pathway protein expression and p-PTEN.@*Results@#At 24, 48, and 72 h after intervention, the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in high dose group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of p-AKT (MCF-7: 0.357 ± 0.064, 0.215 ± 0.056 vs. 0.924 ± 0.085; MDA-MB-231: 0.310 ± 0.022, 0.194 ± 0.019 vs. 0.811 ± 0.089), p-mTOR (MCF-7: 0.476 ± 0.039, 0.217 ± 0.038 vs. 0.838 ± 0.058; MDA-MB-231: 0.300 ± 0.031, 0.223 ± 0.025 vs. 0.896 ± 0.096), p-S6 (MCF-7: 0.551 ± 0.068, 0.428 ± 0.041 vs. 1.254 ± 0.264; MDA-MB-231: 0.281 ± 0.014, 0.197 ± 0.012 vs. 0.748 ± 0.022), p-PTEN (MCF-7: 0.487 ± 0.170, 0.184 ± 0.135 vs. 1.003 ± 0.284, P<0.05; MDA-MB-231: 0.261 ± 0.184, 0.170 ± 0.105 vs. 1.014 ± 0.206) in the low and high dose group significantly decreased (P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Cinobufacin inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, which may be mediated by down-regulation of the expression of the upstream of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway p-PTEN.

How basic research promotes acupuncture to the world: a book review of Chun Hua Qiu Shi written by HAN Ji-sheng and WAN You / 针刺研究

The book titled Chun Hua Qiu Shi (Glorious Flowers in Spring and Rich Fruits in Autumn) by Prof. HAN Ji-sheng and WAN You, published by Peking University Medical Press in 2018, describes the research on acupuncture by HAN Ji-sheng and his team over the past 50 years, including both happy and hard times. With efforts over half a century, Prof. HAN has made internationally recognized achievements in the basic science of acupuncture and has played a significant role in promoting Chinese acupuncture to the world. This article attempts to explain why Prof. HAN can become a model scientist with great achievements from an ordinary youth in south China.