Baicalin attenuates dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by activating the hedgehog signaling pathway / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Perturbations in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) differentiation play an important role in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH). At present, studies on SONFH concentrate upon the balance within BMSC osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. However, BMSC apoptosis as well as proliferation are important prerequisites in their differentiation. The hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway regulates bone cell apoptosis. Baicalin (BA), a well-known compound in traditional Chinese medicine, can affect the proliferation and apoptosis of numerous cell types via HH signaling. However, the potential role and mechanisms of BA on BMSCs are unclear. Thus, we aimed to explore the role of BA in dexamethasone (Dex)-induced BMSC apoptosis in this study.@*METHODS@#Primary BMSCs were treated with 10 -6 mol/L Dex alone or with 5.0 μmol/L, 10.0 μmol/L, or 50.0 μmol/L BA for 24 hours followed by co-treatment with 5.0 μmol/L, 10.0 μmol/L, or 50.0 μmol/L BA and 10 -6 mol/L Dex. Cell viability was assayed through the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Cell apoptosis was evaluated using Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (PI) staining followed by flow cytometry. The imaging and counting, respectively, of Hochest 33342/PI-stained cells were used to assess the morphological characteristics and proportion of apoptotic cells. To quantify the apoptosis-related proteins (e.g., apoptosis regulator BAX [Bax], B-cell lymphoma 2 [Bcl-2], caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-3) and HH signaling pathway proteins, western blotting was used. A HH-signaling pathway inhibitor was used to demonstrate that BA exerts its anti-apoptotic effects via the HH signaling pathway.@*RESULTS@#The results of CCK-8, Hoechst 33342/PI-staining, and flow cytometry showed that BA did not significantly promote cell proliferation (CCK-8: 0 μmol/L, 100%; 2.5 μmol/L, 98.58%; 5.0 μmol/L, 95.18%; 10.0 μmol/L, 98.11%; 50.0 μmol/L, 99.38%, F   =  2.33, P   >  0.05), but it did attenuate the effect of Dex on apoptosis (Hoechst 33342/PI-staining: Dex+ 50.0 μmol/L BA, 12.27% vs. Dex, 39.27%, t  = 20.62; flow cytometry: Dex + 50.0 μmol/L BA, 12.68% vs. Dex, 37.43%, t  = 11.56; Both P  < 0.05). The results of western blotting analysis showed that BA reversed Dex-induced apoptosis by activating the HH signaling pathway, which down-regulated the expression of Bax, cleaved-caspase 3, and suppressor of fused (SUFU) while up-regulating Bcl-2, sonic hedgehog (SHH), and zinc finger protein GLI-1 (GLI-1) expression (Bax/Bcl-2: Dex+ 50.0 μmol/L BA, 1.09 vs. Dex, 2.76, t  = 35.12; cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3: Dex + 50.0 μmol/L BA, 0.38 vs . Dex, 0.73, t  = 10.62; SHH: Dex + 50.0 μmol/L BA, 0.50 vs . Dex, 0.12, t  = 34.01; SUFU: Dex+ 50.0 μmol/L BA, 0.75 vs . Dex, 1.19, t  = 10.78; GLI-1: Dex+ 50.0 μmol/L BA, 0.40 vs . Dex, 0.11, t  = 30.68. All P  < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#BA antagonizes Dex-induced apoptosis of human BMSCs by activating the HH signaling pathway. It is a potential candidate for preventing SONFH.

Substitution mode of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials and research strategy of multi-component replacement / 中国中药杂志

Rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials are the material basis for innovation and development of Chinese medicinal materials and their curative effects are remarkable. However, the resources are in shortage due to various man-made or natural factors such as rising demand, overexploitation and environmental degradation. Therefore, finding alternatives is a feasible and effective solution. This study systematically sorted out the list of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials, and combed relevant policies and regulations. According to existing research, the substitution model of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials was constructed from the theoretical level. In view of the slow search for substitutes, the failure to follow the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine in the process of research and development, the difficulty in breaking through technologies and the incomplete guarantee of the clinical efficacy of substitutes, a multi-component replacement was proposed to replace the originals with more effective components from a wide range of sources. This study was expected to promote the study on the substitutes of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials to step into a new stage.

Improvement of solubility of epimedium flavonoid secondary glycoside components by traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides and its mechanism / 中国中药杂志

The poor solubility of insoluble components of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is an important factor restricting the development of its preparations. Natural polysaccharides of TCM can be used as functional components to increase the solubility of insoluble components. Epimedium flavonoid secondary glycoside components(EFSGC) have been shown to have positive effects on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, but they exhibit poor solubility. Therefore, the strategy of solubilizing EFSGC with TCM polysaccharides was adopted, and its effect on the permeability and stability of EFSGC was evaluated in this study. Based on the equilibrium solubility experiment of EFSGC, it was found that Panax notoginseng crude polysaccharide(PNCP) had the best solubilization effect on EFSGC among the ten kinds of TCM polysaccharides, which increased the solubility of EFSGC from 0.8 mg·mL~(-1) to 13.3 mg·mL~(-1). It should be noted that after the solubilization of EFSGC by preparation technology, the effects on permeability and stability should be considered. Therefore, this study also investigated these two properties. The results showed that PNCP increased the effective transmittance of EFSGC from 50.5% to 71.1%, which could increase the permeability of EFSGC significantly. At the same time, it could improve the stability of EFSGC in the simulated gastric juice environment. In order to explain the solubilization mechanism of PNCP on EGSGC, critical micelle concentration, particle size, potential, differential scanning calorimetry, and infrared spectroscopy were analyzed. It was preliminarily inferred that the mechanism was as follows: PNCP and EFSGC could self-assemble into aggregates for solubilization by intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction in water. In summary, PNCP can not only improve the solubility of EFSGC but also improve its permeability and stability. This study lays the foundation for the application of TCM polysaccharides as a functional component to solubilize insoluble components.

Dynamic two-dimensional characterization technique and influencing factors analysis of the hygroscopicity of Chinese medicine extracts / 药学学报

This study aims to construct a dynamic two-dimensional characterization technique for the hygroscopicity of traditional Chinese medicine extracts and investigate the effect of material properties of powders on hygroscopicity. The dynamic hygroscopicity-time curves of the powders were measured at 25 ℃ and 75% humidity, and the semi-equilibrium hygroscopicity time (t1/2) and equilibrium hygroscopicity (F∞) were derived as two-dimensional evaluation indicators. Finally, the correlation between the material properties and the hygroscopic behavior was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares analysis (PLS). The results showed that the dynamic two-dimensional characterization system of hygroscopicity constructed with 1/t1/2 = 0.1 h-1 and F∞ = 15% as the center can classify the hygroscopic behavior of traditional Chinese medicine extracts into four categories: fast hygroscopicity with strong hygroscopicity, slow hygroscopicity with strong hygroscopicity, fast hygroscopicity with weak hygroscopicity and slow hygroscopicity with weak hygroscopicity. The moisture absorption was negatively correlated with D50, D90, ρb and ρt; the moisture absorption rate was negatively correlated with D10, D50, D90, ρb, ρt, and positively correlated with moisture content. The hygroscopicity dynamic two-dimensional characterization indicators of Chinese medicine extracts (CMEs) constructed in this study matched with the physical properties. The method of dynamic multi-dimensional characterization technology is feasible and scientific, and the idea has strong promotional value.

Acetylation of Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharides and antioxidant activity of acetylated derivatives / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to acetylate Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharides by acetic anhydride method, optimize process parameters and evaluate their antioxidant activity. With the degree of substitution(D_s) as a criterion, the effects of reaction time, acetic anhydride-to-polysaccharides ratio and temperature were investigated. Process parameters were optimized by single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. The infrared spectroscopy(IR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) proved the successful acetylation and were employed to preliminarily analyze the structural characteristics of acetylated derivatives. The results showed that the D_s was 0.327 under the optimal technological conditions, including m(acetic anhydride):m(R. glutinosa polysaccharides)=2.70, reaction time 3.0 h and temperature 48 ℃. Further, the antioxidant properties of acetylated derivatives were investigated in vitro and acetylation was found effective to improve the antioxidant activity of R. glutinosa polysaccharides. This study provides a reference for the further development and application of R. glutinosa polysaccharides.

Twenty years in the 21st century: temporal and spatial evolution of Chinese medicinal processing equipment / 中国中药杂志

Against the backdrop of "Internet+" and Made in China 2025, Chinese medicinal processing equipment embraces various opportunities and develops to an unprecedented level. In the 20 years of the new century, the processing equipment has gradually developed in the direction of high efficiency, energy saving, environmental protection, integration, and automation, and this field has tended to highlight the establishment and application of the linkage production line for the processing of Chinese medicinal decoction pieces. Integrating automation control technology, online detection technique, and the internet of things technology, the online detection system of Chinese medicinal processing equipment and the computer information management system of Chinese medicinal proces-sing are the mainstream development trends of Chinese medicinal processing equipment. Standard Chinese medicine processing equipment is the prerequisite for the standardization of processing parameters. A standard system for processing equipment and processing parameters is the key to the modernization of Chinese medicinal decoction pieces. This paper summarized the research and application of Chinese medicinal processing equipment in the 20 years of the 21 st century and predicted the development trend, which is expected to serve as a reference for the technological innovation and development of the processing equipment.

Twenty years in the 21st century: research approaches and techniques in modern system biology for mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing / 中国中药杂志

Clarifying the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing is pivotal to the modernization of Chinese medicine. Research on Chinese medicinal processing gives priority to the mechanisms of the processing in enhancing efficacy, reducing toxicity, and repurposing medicinals. During the past 20 years, scholars have carried out in-depth studies on the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing via modern system biology. They mainly focused on the changes of medicinal properties and efficacy caused by processing using techniques of modern pharmacology and molecular biology, spectrum-efficacy correlation, and biophoton emission. However, these techniques fail to reflect the holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine. With the introduction of system biology, multi-omics techno-logies(genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) have surged, which have been applied to the research on the mec-hanisms of Chinese medicinal processing. These multi-omics technologies have advantages in the research on holism. This study aims to summarize the research techniques and approaches in system biology for mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing in the past 20 years and analyze the limitations and advantages of them. It is concluded that the multi-omics techniques of system biology can reconstruct the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing. This study provides a new direction for further research on the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing.

Twenty years in the 21st century: research hotspots and frontier analysis on Chinese medicine processing mechanism / 中国中药杂志

The research on the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine is the key and core foundation to improve processing technologies of Chinese medicine, formulate the quality standards of Chinese medicinal pieces, enhance the clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine, enrich Chinese medicine processing theories, and promote the development of Chinese medicine processing. Many researc-hers have conducted in-depth exploration on the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine in the 20 years in the 21 st century. Significant progress has been made in the transformation of chemical components during the processing, the change of active components in the body, the law of toxicity attenuation in the processing of toxic Chinese medicine, the mechanism of efficacy enhancement and toxicity attenuation of processing with auxiliary materials, and the application of new biomedical technologies. At present, the processing mechanism of multiple Chinese medicines has been preliminarily clarified, which has greatly promoted the development of Chinese me-dicine processing. The development of the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine reveals that the in vitro transformation of chemical components is combined with the in vivo absorption, transport, and metabolism, and the macroscopic biological effects of the organism are combined with the cells, molecules, targets, and pathways in the study of the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine. More attention has been paid to exploring the processing mechanism from the overall level, and a modern systematic research system on the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine has been initially formed. To further promote the scientific development of Chinese me-dicine processing, the present study proposed that the research on the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine should take Chinese medicine properties into account, focus on the influence of disease condition on the mode of action and effect strength of the drugs, comply with the characteristics of clinical compound compatibility of Chinese medicine, use the holistic view research strategies of systems bio-logy, and deeply explore the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine from traditional Chinese medicine theories and the characteristics of clinical medication of Chinese medicine.

Twenty years in the 21st century: identification technologies for and multimodal research on chemical changes in exploration of processing mechanism of Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicine undergoes complex chemical changes during processing and identifying these changes is the key to the processing mechanism. In the past 20 years of the 21 st century, research on the chemical changes in Chinese medicine after processing has focused the changes in the biopharmaceutical process in addition to the variation during processing. With the surging of information technologies, various identification technologies(instrumental analysis techniques, molecular biological techniques, data mining techniques, and biotransformation techniques) have developed rapidly and been widely applied to the research on processing mechanism. Thus, based on the chemical changes in the processing and biopharmaceutical process, the author suggested a research tactic of multimodal identification as the core by reorganizing key technologies for chemical identification from studies of the processing mechanism of Chinese me-dicine, aiming at establishing an interdisciplinary multi-dimensional research model for the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine.

Nomenclature standardization of Chinese medicine extracts and components / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicine extracts are the important pharmaceutical materials of Chinese medicinal preparations, but their nomenclature still needs improvement in the field of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). By the analysis of the evolution rules of names of Chinese medicine extracts recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, this study proposed a three-level nomenclature of "Chinese medicine name+chemical information+extract" based on the standardization problems involved in the existing nomenclature, striving to accurately suggest the material basic information on extract names. Meanwhile, the basic elements of Chinese medicine components, the special case from Chinese medicine extracts, were clarified, and the core connotations of the professional names were discriminated to arouse attention and discussions of researchers, facilitate the standardization of Chinese medicine terminology, and promote the scienti-fic development of Chinese medicinal preparations, and the modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicine.

Protective effects of Moutan Cortex polysaccharides components on renal injury in diabetic nephropathy rats / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the protective effects of Moutan Cortex polysaccharides components(MCPC) on the renal tissues of diabetic nephropathy(DN) rats and explored their regulation effect on inflammatory response and oxidative stress. The DN rat model was induced by high-glucose and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin(STZ), and then the rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive group and MCPC high(120 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), low(60 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) dose groups. After 12 weeks treatment, blood was taken from the orbit of the rats, and then they were sacrificed before the kidney tissues were collected. The serum and tissues were detected for related biochemical indicators and pathological changes of the kidney. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the expression of FN and ColⅣ in the kidney tissue of DN rats. Compared with the model group, blood glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and 24 h urine protein in the MCPC high-dose group were significantly reduced(P<0.01). The results of HE, PAS, Masson staining showed that glomerular basement membrane thickening, Bowman's capsule narrowing and inflammatory cell infiltration in DN rats were improved in the MCPC high-dose group; the activity of T-SOD and GSH-Px in serum significantly increased(P<0.001), and the expression level of FN significantly decreased(P<0.001). The high-dose MCPC treatment could effectively inhibit the abnormal expression of Col Ⅳ(P<0.001) and significantly reduce the levels of AGEs and RAGE in serum(P<0.001), the content of VCAM-1 and IL-1β in serum(P<0.001), and the levels of IL-1β mRNA in kidney tissue(P<0.001), but failed to effectively reduce VCAM-1 mRNA levels in kidney tissues. The high-dose MCPC could significantly improve pathological injury of renal tissue and related renal indicators in DN rats, and achieve renal protection in DN rats mainly by regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory factors.

Acupoint selection rules of acupuncture for pseudobulbar palsy dysphagia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the acupoint selection rules of acupuncture for pseudobulbar palsy dysphagia using data mining technology.@*METHODS@#The literature of acupuncture for pseudobulbar palsy dysphagia published from January 1, 1990 to May 1, 2021 was retrieved from CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, VIP, and PubMed databases. Acupuncture prescription database was established. The frequency of acupoint selection was analyzed by Microsoft Excel 2016; Apriori algorithm was used to analyze the association rules and draw the high-frequency acupoint co-occurrence network diagram; SPSS21.0 was used to perform clustering analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 87 literature was included, involving 89 acupuncture prescriptions and 71 acupoints. Fengchi (GB 20) was the most frequently-used acupoint; the commonly-selected meridians were gallbladder meridian, conception vessel, governor vessel and stomach meridian; the acupoints located at the neck were the most frequently-used acupoints; the crossing points were commonly selected among the special acupoints. The most commonly-used acupoint combination was Jinjin (EX-HN 12) plus Yuye (EX-HN 13).@*CONCLUSION@#The modern acupuncture for pseudobulbar palsy dysphagia usually selects local acupoints, especially the neck acupoints such as Fengchi (GB 20) and Lianquan (CV 23). The acupoints in the front and back are concurrently selected with needles towards the disease location.

Literature Analysis and Textual Research on Huaihuasan / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Huaihuasan， first recorded in Puji Benshifang by XU Shu-wei from the Southern Song dynasty， consists of four herbs， namely Sophorae Flos （fried）， Platycladi Cacumen （smashed with pestle and baked）， Schizonepetae Spica， and Aurantii Fructus （cut into pieces after the removal of pulp and then fried yellow with wheat bran）. At present， Huaihuasan and its modified formulas vary in clinical usages and dosages， and the resulting outcomes have been investigated. However， there are few reviews uncovering its historical evolution. On this basis， this review systematically combed and verified the historical evolution， dose conversion between ancient and modern times， efficacy， and indications of Huaihuasan， as well as the origin and processing of the contained herbs. The findings have demonstrated that Huaihuasan is composed of four herbs， with the original plants and medicinal parts basically the same as those recorded in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Sophorae Flos refers to the dried flower and bud of Sophora japonica in family Leguminosae， Platycladi Cacumen the dried branch and leaf of Platycladus orientalis in family Cupressaceae， Schizonepetae Spica the dried flower spike of Schizonepeta tenuifolia in family Labiatae， and Aurantii Fructus the dried immature fruit of Citrus aurantium in family Rutaceae or its cultivated varieties. On account of the efficacy in clearing intestine， stopping bleeding， dispersing wind， and moving Qi， Huaihuasan has been mainly used to treat intestinal diseases such as bloody defecation and perianal abscess. In modern clinical practice， it is mainly applicable to patients with hematochezia and bleeding due to internal hemorrhoid， ulcerative colitis， or anal fissure. It was suggested that the raw medicinal materials should be decocted and processed according to the methods described in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Following the conversion formula of one Qian=4 g， this paper determined the dosages of Sophorae Flos （fried）， Platycladi Cacumen （smashed with pestle and baked）， Schizonepetae Spica， and Aurantii Fructus （cut into pieces after the removal of pulp and then fried yellow with wheat bran） all to be 2 g， with the total dosage being 8 g. Such comprehensive analysis based on ancient books and modern literature has provided a more scientific reference for the clinical application， research， and development of this classical formula.

Single-ELISA reactive rate of four blood screening items in 18 blood station laboratories: Henan, 2019 / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the cause of single-ELISA reactive of four blood screening items in 18 blood stations in Henan, so as to provide the basis for improving the quality of blood screening. 【Methods】 The single-ELISA reactive rate of HBsAg, anti-HCV, HIV Ag/Ab and anti-TP of 18 blood station laboratories in Henan throughout 2019 was calculated, and the causes were analyzed according to different ELISA reagent combinations and gray area settings in each laboratory. 【Results】 The overall single-ELISA reactive rates of HBsAg, anti-HCV, HIV Ag/Ab and anti-TP were 1.740(2 154/1 237 789), 0.564‰(698/1 237 789), 1.421‰(1 759/1 237 789) and 1.561‰(1 932/1 237 789), respectively, showing significant differences by detection items (P <0.05). Person correlation analysis showed that the single-ELISA reactive rate was independent of the gray area settings.but dependent on laboratories and reagent combinations. The single-ELISA reactive rate of HBsAg, anti-HCV, HIV Ag/Ab and anti-TP in D laboratory was the highest and higher than that in other labs using the same reagent.The laboratories with high HBsAg single-ELISA reactive rate were mostly those using a combination of imported reagents and domestic reagents, including the top 6 laboratories. The laboratories with high anti-HCV single-ELISA reactive rate were mostly those using certain domestic reagents. No obvious rules was noticed by single-ELISA reactive for anti-HIV. Laboratories with high anti-TP single-ELISA reactive rate were mostly those using combination 4. 【Conclusion】 The HBsAg single-ELISA reactive rate was the highest in the four blood screening items of blood station laboratories in Henan. The single-ELISA reactive rate is related to the laboratory itself and the reagent manufacturer, suggesting that laboratory quality control should be strengthened and proper reagent combination should be selected to reduce the waste of blood.

HIV-, HBV- and HCV- NAT yield in individual donations: a multi-center analysis in Henan province from 2017 to 2019 / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the HIV-, HCV- and HBV- NAT yield rate in different areas of Henan province, so as to provide the basis for disease prevention and control as well as the establishment of a unified quality control standard for nucleic acid testing(NAT) in the Henan province. 【Methods】 The number and prevalence of NAT yielding samples with isolated infectious virus, namely HIV, HCV and HBV, in 18 blood stations in Henan province from 2017~2019, as well as the trends were analyzed. The NAT quality of each laboratory and each testing system was analyzed according to the ratio of reactive individual donation(ID) results to reactive minipools(MP). 【Results】 The HBV, HCV and HIV ID-NAT yield numbers in 3 501 251 blood donations were HBV 2 606(74/100 000), HCV 21 (0.63/100 000), and HIV 34(1.00/100 000). The HBV ID-NAT yield rate showed an upward trend in the whole province from 2017 to 2019, while the prevalence of HIV and HCV ID-NAT yield didn′t differ significantly during three years. 5 kinds of NAT detection systems were applied in 18 blood centers. among which Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅳ and Ⅴ were triplex detection systems. 2661 ID-reactive samples were implicated in 5 595 MP-reactive samples, with a resolution rate of 47.56%. The resolution rate of triplex NAT system Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅳ and Ⅳ was 39.63%~47.95%, 40.43%~54.36%, 51.61% and 70.00%~45.45%, respectively. An upward trend in triplex NAT resolution rate was observed in 8 laboratories, i. e.B, D, E, F, I, K, L and Q, and an descending trend in A and C. The NAT system Ⅲ, a ID-NAT system, was used only by laboratory C, presenting a NAT-yield rate of 0.19% (282/145 474) and resolution rate of 46.45% (131/282). 【Conclusion】 The majority of NAT-yield of one infectious virus in Henan province is HBV, presenting annual increasing trend. The quality management of NAT laboratories should be strengthened as the divergence was seen in the performance of different NAT laboratories.

Measurement and analysis of induced radioactivity in medical electronic linear accelerator / 中国辐射卫生

Objective By measuring the induced radioactivity of the medical electron linear accelerator, and analyzing the measuring results and the measuring process, the cooling law of the induced radioactivity was studied, to provide basic data for evaluating additional doses to patients, medical staff and the public. Methods Five Medical Electron Linear accelerators were used to measure the induced radioactivity by using automes-6150AD6/H+6150AD-b/H x-γ radiation peripheral dose equivalent rate meter for environmental monitoring. Results The level of induced radioactivity of 5 medical electron linear accelerators is related to the factors such as measuring position and time: 10 second after the end of beam output, the maximum dose equivalent rate is 5.55 μSv/h around 5 cm on the surface of the head housing of the accelerator, and the maximum ambient dose equivalent rate at 1 m from the fixed point of the housing is 4.07 μSv/h, 5 minutes after the end of output, the maximum dose equivalent rate is 2.11 μSv/h around the 5 cm surface and 1.77 μSv/h around the 1 m fixed point. Conclusion The measured radioactivity induced by the medical electron linear accelerator gradually cools over time, the measurement valuesare maintained in a relatively fixed range, and the fluctuation range of the values is narrow.

Powder modificationfor improving content uniformity of Ziyin Yiwei Capsules / 中国中药杂志

Based on the defects in powder properties of the contents of Ziyin Yiwei Capsules, this study screened out the main medicinal slice powders causing the poor powdery properties, and introduced the powder modification process to improve the powdery properties of these slice powders, the pharmaceutical properties of the capsule contents, and the content uniformity of Ziyin Yiwei Capsules, so as to provide a demonstration for the application of powder modification technology to the preparation of Chinese medicinal solid preparations. Through the investigation on the powder properties of the contents of Ziyin Yiwei Capsules, it was clarified that the pulverized particle size of the capsule contents had a good correlation with the pulverization time. According to the measurement results of the powder fluidity and wettability, the quality defects of the capsule contents were caused by the fine powders of Taraxaci Herba and Lungwortlike Herba. "Core-shell" composite particles were prepared from medicinal excipients magnesium stearate and fine powders of Taraxaci Herba and Lungwortlike Herba slices after ultra-fine pulverization to improve the powder properties of the problematic fine powders. Powder characterization data including fluidity and wettability were measured, followed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and infrared ray(IR) detection. It was determined that the optimal dosage of magnesium stearate was 2%, and the compositing time was 3 min. The composite particles were then used as content components of the Ziyin Yiwei Capsules. The powder characteristics between the original capsule and the modified composite capsule including the particle size, fluidity, wettability, uniformity of bulk density, and uniformity of chromatism as well as the content uniformity and in vitro dissolution were compared. The results showed that the powder characteristics and content uniformity of the prepared composite capsule were significantly improved, while the material basis of the preparation was not changed before and after modification. The preparation process was proved to be stable and feasible. The powder modification technology solved the pharmaceutical defects that were easy to appear in the preparation of traditional capsules, which has provided experimental evidence for the use of powder modification technology for improving the quality of Chinese medicinal solid preparations and promoting the secondary development and upgrading of traditional Chinese medicinal dosage forms such as capsules.

Particle design for improving content uniformity of Hewei Jiangni Capsules / 中国中药杂志

Targeting the poor powder characteristics of the contents in Hewei Jiangni Capsules, this study characterized the powder properties of the contents and employed particle design technique for improving the content quality. The content composite particles of Hewei Jiangni Capsules prepared by the particle design technique were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), followed by infrared ray(IR), content uniformity, and in vitro dissolution detection. It was found that there was a good correlation between the crushed particle size of slices and the crushing time, and the calcined Haematitum was responsible for the poor content uniformity. After the fine powder of calcined Haematitum was super-finely ground for 8.5 min and those of the other contents in the capsule for 1 min, they were prepared into the composite particles, whose property characterizations were compared with those of the physical mixtures. The content uniformity of the prepared composite particles was significantly improved, and the preparation process was stable and reliable. The adoption of particle design technology to correct the poor uniformity of the physical mixture, solve the pharmaceutical defects of Hewei Jiangni Capsules, and improve the quality of prescriptions has provided important reference for the clinical application and development of Chinese medicinal preparations.

Particle design for improving taste and homogeneity of traditional Chinese medicinal powder: taking Zhuhuang Chuihou Powder as an example / 中国中药杂志

Due to the complex source and different physical and chemical properties of traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) powder, there are many common pharmaceutical problems in its preparation, such as large particle size difference, poor mixing uniformity, and poor compliance with oral intake, which has directly affected the quality of solid preparations as well as their clinical efficacy and safety. This study observed the property of Zhuhuang Chuihou Powder and extract its pharmaceutical defects. It was found that realgar and calcined Borax in Zhuhuang Chuihou Powder were heavy in texture and toxic, and they were easy to be isolated, indicating the potential safety hazard. At the same time, Coptidis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex were the main sources of its bitterness. Therefore, based on the idea of "drug-excipients unity", the particle design technology was used to prepare core/shell-type composite particles with bitter medicines as the core and mineral medicines as shell. Both infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy results indicated the formation of composite particles, and the taste of these composite particles were improved. Compared with the physical mixtures, the composite particles exhibited significantly decreased RSD values in the content uniformity of berberine hydrochloride, arsenic disulfide, and sodium tetraborate and appearance uniformity. The introduction of particle design technology solved the problem of uneven dispersion of Zhuhuang Chuihou Powder, thus ensuring its uniform dispersion, stability, and control and improving the quality of the original preparation. This has provided a scientific basis for the quality control of TCM powder.

Application of design technology for preparing Lingzhu Powder particles based on solvent evaporation method / 中国中药杂志

Targeting the deficiencies of Lingzhu Powder, this study introduced the particle design technology to improve its quality. Based on the mechanism of particle design for powder and the characteristics of solvent evaporation method, composite particles consisting of Succinum, Cinnabaris, and artificial Bovis Calculus were prepared. And the powder properties of composite particles and physical mixtures as well as the content uniformity of toxic components were investigated for exploring the technological advantages of particle design in improving the quality of Lingzhu Powder. The results showed that the composite particles prepared using solvent evaporation method and particle design technology were micro-particles, and the stable agglomerate structure could be observed under SEM. Composite particles exhibited better fluidity and compliance in oral intake than physical mixtures. The differences in chromatism, bulk density, and content uniformity of the composite particles were smaller than those of physical mixtures, and the corresponding RSD values \[4.8%, 1.8%, 3.4%(bilirubin), and 0.63%(HgS), respectively\] were smaller. The solvent evaporation combined with particle design technology can be utilized to significantly improve the quality of Lingzhu Powder, which has provided new ideas for the optimization of the quality of traditional Chinese medicinal powder.