Pharmacological Basis of Similia Similibus Curantur and the Nature of Homeopathic Materia Medica

Similia Similibus Curantur is also called the law of similars. That is, when a drug produces pathological/pathogenic symptoms in healthy individual means, the same drug can relieve similar kinds of symptoms in individuals with the disease. The biological, pharmacological and toxicological action of capsaicin alkaloids is a perfect example to explain the Similia Similibus Curantur principle. Most of the drugs in homoeopathic materia medica contain toxicological, pharmacological, drug-proving, and traditional use-related symptoms and indications. Abnormal sensations and symptoms of the disease are caused by the involvement of a specific receptor or molecular pathway and gene functions. These receptors or molecules may be stimulated or suppressed by environmental, natural or artificial agents. In such conditions, the administration of specific homoeopathic medicine having a similar kind of affinity towards the particular receptors or molecules involved in the disease process leads to modulation of such receptor or molecular pathways (e.g., desensitization, sensitization, inhibition). These kinds of actions cause the betterment of symptoms or curative effects. So “Similia similibus curanter” can be understood as a similar receptor or molecular pathway involved in both drug molecules biological/ pharmacological and toxicological action and disease pathogenesis". The selection of medicine is by comparing the similarity between the receptor or molecular pathway in disease pathogenesis and drug pathogenesis. To avoid unwanted aggravations or side effects while using mother tinctures or solutions, administer them less than their physiological dose. The theory of the pharmacological basis of Similia Similia Curantur creates a rational method to apply this Similia Principle. Based on this theory, there is a possibility of discovering Novel drugs in the future that acts and gives a cure in similia similibus curantur way.

Historical Evolution and Modern Research Progress of Processing of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

By reviewing the relevant literature of ancient herbal works and modern codices， this paper sorted out the historical evolution and developmental venation of processing of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma. On this basis， the modern research of processed products of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was used as the breakthrough point to analyze the literature in terms of processing technology， chemical composition changes and changes in pharmacological effects before and after processing. According to the research status of processing of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， some existing problems were analyzed in this paper， such as not many ancient processing methods used in modern time， lack of standardized research on processing technology. And saponins， polysaccharides， amino acids， flavonoids and other chemical components in Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma may change to different degrees before and after processing， which was the main reason for the difference of efficacy before and after processing. However， the current research on the pharmacological effects of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma mainly focuses on raw products， resulting in a lack of in-depth research on the transformation mechanism of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in processing difference， and the scientific connotation of "Shengxiao Shubu" has not been clearly elaborated， which is not conducive to the standardized clinical use of drugs. Therefore， it is necessary to further analyze the material basis of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and its processed products， and to explore the change rule of chemical components before and after processing and its correlation with pharmacodynamic activity， so as to clarify the processing mechanism for providing scientific basis for its standardized processing， quality control and clinical rational use.

Pathogenesis and Treatment of Vascular Dementia Based on Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Vascular dementia （VaD） is a common disease that affects the health of the elderly. Due to the aging of the social population， the incidence of VaD is increasing year by year. There have been no officially approved treatments for this disease， mainly because its pathogenesis is complex， and the mechanism of action of effective drugs is not yet clear， which hinders drug research for the treatment of VaD. Therefore， by reviewing the available literature related to VaD， this study sorted out the pathogenesis of VaD from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and western medicine， and concluded that in TCM， VaD was characterized by the deficiency of the spleen and kidney （deficiency） and combination of phlegm and blood stasis （excess）， while in western medicine， the pathogenesis of VaD is mainly inflammatory response， oxidative stress， abnormal expression of related proteins， and dysfunction of signaling pathways. On this basis， this study also summarized the research on the mechanism of action of commonly used single Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese herbal medicine compound， western medicine， and the combination of Chinese herbal medicine and western medicine in the treatment of VaD in recent years. The commonly used single Chinese herbal medicine Ginkgo Folium and Chinese herbal medicine compound Dihuang Yinzi have the multi-component and multi-target characteristics and few adverse reactions in the treatment of VaD， while the commonly used western medicines such as donepezil and memantine have the characteristics of the clear target and quick onset. The combination of Chinese herbal medicine and western medicines can achieve a better effect. This study summarized the research on the pathogenesis and treatment of VaD， aiming to link the pathogenesis of VaD with the mechanism of effective drug therapy， and provide an important reference for future drug development for the treatment of VaD.

Efficacy Evaluation of Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Ipomoea muricatum in Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholic Gastric Ulcer / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of ethyl acetate fraction of Ipomoea muricatum （IM-EA） in the prevention and treatment of alcoholic gastric ulcer （GU） and explore its mechanism of action based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. MethodForty SD rats were randomly divided into a control group， a model group， a ranitidine group （2.7 mg·kg-1）， and low- and high-dose IM-EA groups （30，60 mg·kg-1） after adaptive feeding for 7 days. The GU model was replicated by hydrochloric acid in absolute ethanol （150 mmol·L-1） in rats after prophylactic administration for one week. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining were used to preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of IM-EA in the prevention and treatment of GU. Lead compounds of IM-EA were screened out by ADMET， and the SwissTarget platform was used to identify the potential targets for these compounds. GU-related targets were collected through DisGeNET， OMIM， and GeneCards databases， which were mapped to potential IM-EA targets to obtain the potential targets of IM-EA against GU. The STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network to screen the hub targets， and the DAVID platform was used to annotate the biological functions of common targets to explore the underlying mechanism of IM-EA against GU. Autodock Vina software was used for the preliminary verification of the computer simulation. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α and interleukin （IL）-6 and the content of prostaglandin E2 （PGE2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in the gastric tissues were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The relative expression levels of core proteins in the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway， such as Jun oncoprotein， extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， and p38， in the gastric tissues were detected by Western blot. ResultAs revealed by the results of animal experiments， compared with the control group， the model group showed significantly damaged gastric tissues and reduced secretion of gastric mucus. Compared with the model group， the groups with drug intervention showed reduced ulcer areas in the gastric tissues （P<0.01） and improved gastric histopathological status and gastric mucus secretion， suggesting that IM-EA was effective in the prevention and treatment of GU. Sixteen lead compounds of IM-EA were screened out by ADMET， and 257 potential targets of IM-EA against GU were obtained. The hub nodes in the PPI network included targets of TNF-α， protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， tumor protein 53 （TP53）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， and ERK. Biological functional annotation and molecular docking results suggested that the MAPK signaling pathway potentially played a key role in the prevention and treatment of GU by IM-EA， which was synergistic with the vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway， phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/Akt signaling pathway， and nuclear factor （NF）-κB signaling pathway in anti-inflammation， anti-oxidation， and damage repair. The pharmacological experiment results showed that compared with the control group， the model group showed increased serum IL-6 content （P<0.01）， an increasing trend of TNF-α content， increased MMP-9 content in the gastric tissues （P<0.01）， and decreased SOD content （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the IM-EA groups showed decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the serum and PGE2 and MMP-9 levels in the gastric tissues （P<0.01）， and increased SOD content in the gastric tissues （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the model group showed up-regulated expression of p-p38， p-Jun， and p-ERK in the gastric tissues （P<0.01） and up-regulated p38 and Jun （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the IM-EA groups showed down-regulated p-p38， p-Jun， p-ERK， and p38 in the gastric tissues （P<0.01） and up-regulated relative expression of Jun and ERK （P<0.05）. ConclusionIM-EA has a remarkable effect in the prevention and treatment of alcoholic gastric injury， which may be achieved through the mechanisms of anti-inflammation， anti-oxidation， and wound repair mediated by the MAPK signaling pathway.

Research progress on material basis for neurotoxicity of traditional Chinese medicine and its mechanism / 中国药房

In recent years， neurotoxicity caused by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has frequently occurred and has become one of the important factors restricting the development and application of TCM. TCM contains active components and its dosage-effect relationship is the key to determine its pharmacological activity and toxic effects. Among them， the endogenous toxic components include alkaloids， glycosides， diterpenoids， animal and plant toxic proteins and heavy metals， and so on； exogenous toxic components mainly refer to some harmful elements and pesticide residues during the cultivation， processing， transportation and storage of medicinal materials that are not synthesized by themselves. Effect on the processes such as oxidative stress， inflammation， ion exchange， and energy metabolism may be important mechanisms of TCM-induced neurotoxicity. Neural cells， myelin cells， axons and neurotransmitter systems are common targets of TCM-induced neurotoxicity. In the future， we can use modern research methods and big data mining means to establish a safety evaluation mode of “toxic symptoms-poisoning dose-toxic original agent-detoxification scheme” with the basic component group of toxic substances as the core， so as to provide support for development and clinical intervention of neurotoxic traditional Chinese medicine.

Aloe vera and wound healing: a brief review

Abstract Aloe vera possesses a great therapeutic importance in traditional medicine. It has attracted the attention of modern medical fields due to its wide pharmacological applications. The bioactive substances in Aloe vera proved to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Taken into our consideration the long history of clinical applications of Aloe vera in traditional medicine, especially for promoting the healing of cutaneous wounds with rare adverse effects, it provides a cheap alternative to many expensive synthetic drugs. Recent techniques in tissue engineering created novel scaffolds based on Aloe gel extracts for wound healing applications. Nonetheless, further guided researche is required to foster the development of Aloe vera based scaffolds for the benefit of worldwide populations. Here, I systemically summarize the main events following wounding and the mechanism of action of Aloe vera in promoting the healing process. I hope to provide a solid piece of information that might be helpful for designing new research studies into this topic.

Antifungal activity of linalool against fluconazole-resistant clinical strains of vulvovaginal Candida albicans and its predictive mechanism of action

Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated opportunistic pathogen in the female genital tract, with 92.3% of cases in Brazil associated with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Linalool is a monoterpene compound from plants of the genera Cinnamomum, Coriandrum, Lavandula, and Citrus that has demonstrated a fungicidal effect on strains of Candida spp., but its mechanism of action is still unknown. For this purpose, broth microdilution techniques were applied, as well as molecular docking in a predictive manner for this mechanism. The main results of this study indicated that the C. albicans strains analyzed were resistant to fluconazole and sensitive to linalool at a dose of 256 µg/mL. Furthermore, the increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of linalool in the presence of sorbitol and ergosterol indicated that this molecule possibly affects the cell wall and plasma membrane integrity of C. albicans. Molecular docking of linalool with proteins that are key in the biosynthesis and maintenance of the cell wall and the fungal plasma membrane integrity demonstrated the possibility of linalool interacting with three important enzymes: 1,3-β-glucan synthase, lanosterol 14α-demethylase, and Δ 14-sterol reductase. In silico analysis showed that this monoterpene has theoretical but significant oral bioavailability, low toxic potential, and high similarity to pharmaceuticals. Therefore, the findings of this study indicated that linalool probably causes damage to the cell wall and plasma membrane of C. albicans, possibly by interaction with important enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these fungal structures, in addition to presenting low in silico toxic potential.

Estudo do potencial de reposicionamento do composto auranofina no controle de infecções por Candida albicans / Study on the potential for the repositioning of auranofin in the control of Candida albicans infections

A ocorrência crescente de resistência antifúngica, a toxicidade, além do pequeno espectro de ação dos antifúngicos convencionais, limita o número de alternativas terapêuticas para doenças causadas por leveduras do gênero Candida. Uma das frentes de pesquisa é a proposta de novos usos para drogas existentes chamada de reposicionamento, que diminui o tempo e esforço na busca de novos compostos eficazes. Neste contexto, o presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar o potencial antifúngico e os mecanismos de ação do composto auranofina contra a espécie Candida albicans, além da toxicidade in vivo. Foram utilizadas cepas padrões de C. albicans (SC5314, ATCC 18804) e as concentrações inibitória mínima (CIM) e fungicida mínima (CFM) foram determinadas. Os mecanismos de ação dos compostos foram avaliados sobre a estrutura celular de C. albicans, com verificação de alterações na morfologia, na parede celular, sobre os fatores de virulência de C. albicans, como transição levedura-hifa e produção de exoenzimas, além do efeito do composto sobre o metabolismo de C. albicans e efeito antifúngico sob condições de estresse osmótico. Para avaliação da toxicidade das concentrações efetivas de auranofina in vivo, foi utilizado o modelo invertebrado, Drosophila melanogaster. Os dados obtidos no ensaio de transição levedura-hifa foram avaliados pelos testes ANOVA e de Tukey e os testes Kruskal-Wallis e de Dunn. foram utilizados na análise do efeito de auranofina sobre o metabolismo fúngico. O nível de significância para todos os testes foi de 5%. Foram verificadas concentrações inibitória e fungicida de auranofina sobre C. albicans. Apesar da ausência de efeitos sobre fatores de virulência, auranofina causou redução no metabolismo fúngico e no crescimento fúngico sob estresse osmótico, sugerindo, nesse caso, um possível efeito direto ou indireto na membrana celular fúngica. Além disso, nas concentrações efetivas não foi observada toxicidade relevante in vivo. Os resultados demonstraram, portanto, que auranofina tem potencial para seu reposicionamento como antifúngico, no entanto, mais estudos são necessários para mais esclarecimentos e utilização adequada do medicamento (AU).

The increasing occurrence of antifungal resistance, toxicity, in addition to the small spectrum of action of conventional antifungals, limits the number of therapeutic alternatives for diseases caused by yeasts of the genus Candida. One of the research fronts is the proposal of new uses for existing drugs called repositioning, which reduces the time and effort in the search for new effective compounds. In this context, the present study aims to evaluate the antifungal potential and mechanisms of action of the auranofin compound against Candida albicans, in addition to in vivo toxicity. Standard strains of C. albicans (SC5314, ATCC 18804) were used and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicide concentration (MFC) were determined. The mechanisms of action of the compounds were evaluated on the cellular structure of C. albicans, with verification of changes in morphology, in the cell wall, on the virulence factors of C. albicans, such as yeast-hypha transition and production of exoenzymes, in addition to the effect of the compound on the metabolism of C. albicans and antifungal effect under osmotic stress conditions. To evaluate the toxicity of effective concentrations of auranofin in vivo, the invertebrate model, Drosophila melanogaster, was used. The data obtained in the yeast-hypha transition assay were evaluated by the ANOVA and Tukey tests and the KruskalWallis and Dunn tests. were used to analyze the effect of auranofin on fungal metabolism. The significance level for all tests was 5%. Inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations of auranofin were verified on C. albicans. Despite the absence of effects on virulence factors, auranofin caused a reduction in fungal metabolism and fungal growth under osmotic stress, suggesting, in this case, a possible direct or indirect effect on the fungal cell membrane. Furthermore, at effective concentrations, no relevant in vivo toxicity was observed. The results showed, therefore, that auranofin has the potential for its repositioning as an antifungal, however, more studies are needed for further clarification and proper use of the drug (AU).

In vitro and in silico evaluation of the schistosomicidal activity of eugenol derivatives using biochemical, molecular, and morphological tools

Background Eugenol shows both antibacterial and antiparasitic activities, suggesting that it might be evaluated as an option for the treatment of praziquantel-resistant schistosome. Methods The in vitro activities of three eugenol derivatives (FB1, FB4 and FB9) on adult worms from Schistosoma mansoni were examined by fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy to analyze effects on the excretory system and integument damage, respectively. Biochemical tests with verapamil (a calcium channel antagonist) and ouabain (a Na+/K+-ATPase pump inhibitor) were used to characterize eugenol derivative interactions with calcium channels and the Na+/K+-ATPase, while in silico analysis identified potential Na+/K+-ATPase binding sites. Results The compounds showed effective doses (ED50) of 0.324 mM (FB1), 0.167 mM (FB4), and 0.340 mM (FB9). In addition, FB4 (0.322 mM), which showed the lowest ED50, ED90 and ED100 (p < 0.05), caused the most damage to the excretory system and integument, according to both fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The death of adult worms was delayed by ouabain treatment plus FB1 (192 versus 72 hours) and FB9 (192 versus 168 hours), but the response to FB4 was the same in the presence or absence of ouabain. Besides, no changes were noted when all of the eugenol derivatives were combined with verapamil. Moreover, FB1 and FB9 inhibited Na+/K+-ATPase activity according to in silico analysis but FB4 did not show a time-dependent relationship and may act on targets other than the parasite Na+/K+-ATPase. Conclusion Eugenol derivatives, mainly FB4 when compared to FB1 and FB9, seem to act more effectively on the integument of adult S. mansoni worms.(AU)

Clinical progress of acupoint application in the treatment of cirrhotic ascites / 国际中医中药杂志

As an important part of the external treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupoint has the advantages of simple operation, remarkable effectiveness and safety. Recently, it has been widely used in the treatment of patients with cirrhosis ascites, either alone, or in combination with other external treatments. It can improve ascites symptoms and reduce recurrence rates. Physicians select acupoint based on the meridian acupoint theory or their own methods. The acupoints are mainly Shenque (CV 8), Qihai (CV 5), Zusanli (ST 36), Guanyuan (RN 4), Zhongwan (CV 12) and other Ren meridian acupoints, supplemented by the bladder meridian, the liver meridian, the stomach meridian, and the spleen meridian. The Chinese medical drugs, mostly in terms of compounds, have function for relieasing stasis water, regulating qi and tonifying deficiency. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen basic research, treatment based on syndrome differentiation and improve the quality of clinical researchs.

Research progress of related signaling pathways of treating Alzheimer disease by TCM / 国际中医中药杂志

In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment for Alzheimer's disease has been widely concerned. At present,there are more studies on the following 6 pathways: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) signaling pathway, phosphatidy linositol-3-kinases (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP response Element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway,nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway.

Mechanism of thunberg fritillary and honeysuckle in treating diabetic foot based on network pharmacological and animal experiments / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism of the treatment of diabetic feet with thunberg fritillary and honeysuckle based on pharmacological and animal experiments.Methods:The drug ingredients of the drug pair of thunberg fritillary and honeysuckle were obtained from TCMSP, and the targets of the drug pair were obtained from the Swiss target prediction. The targets of the disease target of diabetic foot were screened. The cross target was obtained using Venny 2.1. A protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were carried out by Metascape. The ingredient-target-pathway network was established by Cytoscape software. The diabetic foot rat model was established, and the effects of the treatment and the detection of serum screening targets were observed.Results:The results show that 38 active ingredients in the drug pair acted on 339 disease targets to treat diabetic feet through multiple pathways. The core ingredients include luteolin, pelargonidinin, ziebeimine, peiminine, adenosine, and TP53, EP300, HSP90AA1, CTNNB1, and Akt1 are the critical targets. The results of the genetic function analysis show that the biological process is mainly involved in the combination of cellular transcription factors, the reaction of cells to nitrogen compounds, and hormone reactions. The main components of the cell component mainly involve the film raft, the membrane raft, the small space and so on. The molecular function mainly involves protein kinase activity, phosphate kinase activity, kinase activity and so on. The results of the KEGG enrichment analysis indicate the signaling pathways mainly include PI3K/AKT, HIF-1, EGFR, and MAPK. The local repair effect of the drug pair on the diabetic foot rat model is significant, and the expression of the serum TP53, EP300, HSP90AA1, CTNNB1, Akt1 is significantly increased.Conclusions:The mechanism of the treatment of diabetes foot with thunberg fritillary and honeysuckle is mainly by regulating targets (TP53, EP300, HSP90AA1, CTNNB1 and Akt1), signal pathways (PI3K/AKT, HIF-1, EGFR and MAPK), and biological processes such as enzymatic activity and anti-inflammatory.

Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Psoriasis： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Psoriasis is a common clinical chronic inflammatory skin disease with a complex and diverse etiology and unrevealed pathogenesis. In traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， psoriasis is caused by internal and external factors. To be specific， external factors such as external wind， cold， dampness， heat， insects， and other pathogenic factors can result in Qi obstruction， blood stasis， and loss of nourishment in the skin， and internal and external factors such as wind， dampness， and toxic qi attacking the exterior， heat and dryness in the blood aspect， difficulty in flourishing due to blood dryness， and blood deficiency in the body， combined with external contraction of wind and dryness trigger the disease. Modern doctors have conducted research from the blood aspect， including blood heat， blood deficiency， blood stasis， and blood dryness. Modern medicine believes that it is related to genetics， immunity， infection， and other factors， and the research on its mechanism focuses on genetic susceptibility， immune system disorder， bacterial infection， and other aspects. At present， various clinical therapies are available， mainly including systematic treatment and local external application of drugs. While treating psoriasis， TCM mainly employs oral administration or external application of Chinese medicine and traditional therapies to regulate the immune system and gene targets and resist oxidation， with high safety and few adverse reactions. At present， although the research on the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of psoriasis has been gradually deepened， there are few detailed summaries on the mechanism of TCM in the prevention and treatment of psoriasis. Based on the research on TCM and western medicine in the treatment of psoriasis， this paper reviewed the mechanism of TCM in the prevention and treatment of psoriasis and proposed a comprehensive clinical and experimental research profile， aiming to provide references for further exploring the pathogenesis， treatment， and corresponding mechanism of psoriasis.

Research progress on the mechanism of tonifying kidney and activating blood Chinese medicine for knee osteoarthritis / 国际中医中药杂志

The important pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) lies in kidney deficiency and blood stasis. Therefore, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for tonifying the kidney and activating blood circulation is widely used in clinical practise with high response. The existing literature mainly focuses on single medicine for tonifying the kidney and activating blood circulation, as well as TCM compounds, such as classic prescriptions Yougui Pill, Duhuo Jisheng Decoction, which contain TCMs for tonifying the kidney and activating blood circulation, or self-made empirical prescriptions Bushen Huoxue Recipe and Bushen Tongluo Recipe, which are based on the idea of tonifying the kidney and activating blood circulation. The above TCMs mainly regulate oxidative stress response, inflammatory cytokine level, no level, lymphatic function and microcirculation Inhibit chondrocyte apoptosis, regulate cartilage metabolism, protect and repair cartilage, and inhibit matrix degrading enzymes to play a therapeutic role.

Research progress of electroacupuncture for cognitive dysfunction / 国际中医中药杂志

Cognitive impairment seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Clinically, it is common in cerebral ischemia, sepsis and postoperative. Its etiology includes abnormal expression of regulatory molecules in the brain, ischemic injury of brain tissue and abnormal expression of genes and proteins in brain tissues. However, there is no effective treatment at present. Electroacupuncture has a certain effect on cognitive impairment. Its mechanism mainly includes inhibiting oxidative stress response, enhancing synaptic plasticity, inhibiting neuroinflammation, regulating glial cell activity, regulating excitatory amino acids, and improving glucose metabolism.

Research progress on anti-tumor mechanism of Tubeimoside-1 / 国际中医中药杂志

Tubeimoside-1 (TBMS1) is a triterpene saponins active components with large content in Cucurbitaceae plant Fritillaria, which is water-soluble and stable. It has a broad inhibitory effect on lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer and other tumors. The mechanism is mainly related to the inhibition of tumor cell growth, induction of tumor cell apoptosis, inhibition of tumor cell invasion and metastasis, induction of cell autophagy, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.

Research progress on toxic mechanisms of cadmium sulfide nanomaterials / 上海预防医学

Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles are a new type of semiconductor nanomaterials used in many applications. Studies have shown that cadmium sulfide nanoparticles have toxic effects on the reproductive system， liver， and kidney of the body， and the toxicities are affected by various factors. This paper summarized the current research on the toxicity of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles at home and abroad， and reviewed the latest research progress on the mechanisms of its toxic effects and influencing factors.

Role of metformin in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Although there are many options for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, such as surgical resection, interventional therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and liver transplantation, the poor therapeutic effect seriously reduces the quality of life for patients and also increases the social and economic burden. Metformin is originally used as the first-line drug for type 2 diabetes, but it has been found to play a certain effect in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumor. The potential roles of metformin against hepatocellular carcinoma, such as regulation of the microenvironment, proliferation signal pathway, metabolism, invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, autophagy, and epigenetics of hepatoma cells. It provides a new choice for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hypoglycemic mechanism of Psoraleae Fructus and its main chemical constituents / 中国中药杂志

With the rise of incidence, fatality rate, and number of young cases, diabetes mellitus has been one of the seven major diseases threatening human health. Although many antidiabetic drugs(oral or for injection) are available, the majority have serious side effects during the long-term use. Thus, it is of particularly vital to develop new drugs with low risk and definite effect. Psoraleae Fructus, a traditional medicinal widely used in the folk, has hypoglycemic, anti-osteoporosis, antitumor, estrogen-like, and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, it has great clinical application potential. Chinese medicine and the active ingredients, characterized by multiple targets, multiple pathways, and multiple effects in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, have distinct advantages in clinical application. However, the safety of Chinese medicine remains to be a challenge, and one of keys is to clarifying the mechanism of a single Chinese medicinal and its active ingredients. With the method of literature research, this study summarized and analyzed the hypoglycemic mechanisms of Psoraleae Fructus and its main active ingredients over the last decade: regulating glucose metabolism, improving insulin resistance, and directly acting on pancreatic β-cells. The result is expected to serve as a reference for further research on the effects of Psoraleae Fructus and its main chemical constituents in lowering blood glucose and preventing diabetes mellitus and the clinical application.

Metabolomics based protective effect of Amygdalus mongolica on pulmonary fibrosis in rats / 药学学报

This study used pharmacology combined with metabolomics to explore the effect of Amygdalus mongolica total extract on bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. The rat model of pulmonary fibrosis was established by intratracheal injection of bleomycin and treated with the total extract of Amygdalus mongolica. The pathological changes of lung tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson staining, the contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in lung tissue were detected, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), Smad family member 3 (Smad3), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) pathway index expression in lung tissue was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used to study serum metabolomics to explore the changing patterns of biomarkers and the metabolic pathways affected by them. The results showed that compared with the model group, the medium (1.5 g·kg-1) and high (3.0 g·kg-1) doses of Amygdalus mongolica total extract could significantly reduce the lung index, significantly increase the activity of SOD in serum and lung tissue, reduce the degree of alveolar inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis, and reduce MDA in serum and lung tissue, and significantly reduce TGF-β1, Smad3, α-SMA mRNA expression in lung tissue. Serum metabolomics profile analysis identified 25 significantly different metabolites, the Amygdalus mongolica total extract can participate in linoleic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism by reducing five key biomarkers: lysoPE(0∶0/22∶5(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z)), lysoPC(20∶0/0∶0), PC(20∶5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/15∶0), 12,13-dihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (12,13-DHOME), 9,10-dihydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (9,10-DHOME) to affect pulmonary fibrosis. This study preliminarily revealed the action mechanism of Amygdalus mongolica total extract against pulmonary fibrosis in rats, and provided a reference basis for the clinical application of Amygdalus mongolica. The animal experiments were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Baotou Medical College (No.20170315).