(+)/(-)-Yanhusamides A-C, three pairs of unprecedented benzylisoquinoline-pyrrole hetero-dimeric alkaloid enantiomers from Corydalis yanhusuo

A chemical investigation on the aqueous extract of Corydalis yanhusuo tubers led to the isolation and structural elucidation of three pairs of trace enantiomeric hetero-dimeric alkaloids, (+)/(-)-yanhusamides A-C ( 1- 3), featuring an unprecedented 3,8-diazatricylco[5.2.2.02,6]undecane-8,10-diene bridged system. Their structures were exhaustively characterized by X-ray diffraction, comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis, and computational methods. Guided by the hypothetical biosynthetic pathway for 1- 3, a gram-scale biomimetic synthesis of (±)- 1 was achieved in 3 steps using photoenolization/Diels-Alder (PEDA) [4+2] cycloaddition. Compounds 1‒3 exhibited potent inhibition of NO production induced by LPS in RAW264.7 macrophages. The in vivo assay showed that oral administration of 30 mg/kg of (±)- 1 attenuated the severity of rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). Additionally, (±)- 1 induced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in the acetic acid-induced mice writhing assay.

Development of a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) immunoassay for the measurement of serum insulin / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

Objective To investigate the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect between dylight (DL) and AuNP (AuNP), and to construct a new fluorescence immunoassay for insulin in combination with the immunocompetition method. Methods Insulin antigen (Ag) and insulin antibody (Ab) were conjugated with DL and AuNP respectively to form DL-Ag conjugate and AUNp-AB conjugate. A novel fluorescence immunoassay for insulin was developed on the basis of FRET effect and the immune competition response between them. Then the performance of the method was evaluated and its application in actual samples was explored. Results The fluorescence immunoassay showed high sensitivity (0.015 ng/mL), short measurement time (4 min) and good specificity. It was successfully used in the measurement of serum insulin, and the recovery was between 96.9% and 121.1%. Conclusion FRET effect between AuNP and DL can be applied to develop a fluorescence immunoassay for the measurement of serum insulin.

Pharmacological research progress of five classical prescriptions in treatment of chronic heart failure / 中国中药杂志

Chronic heart failure(CHF) is a comprehensive clinical syndrome caused by multiple factors that result in structural and/or functional abnormalities of the heart, leading to impaired ventricular contraction and/or relaxation functions. This medical condition represents the final stage of various cardiovascular diseases. In the treatment of CHF, multiple clinical studies have demonstrated the benefits of using traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) to control oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, thereby delaying ventricular remodeling and reducing myocardial fibrosis. In this study, common TCM syndromes in the diagnosis and treatment of CHF in recent years were reviewed and summarized. Five common treatment methods including benefiting Qi and activating blood circulation, enhancing Qi and nourishing Yin, warming Yang for diuresis, eliminating phlegm and dampness, rescuing from collapse by restoring Yang, and corresponding classic prescriptions in prevention and treatment of CHF were concluded under the guidance of TCM syndrome differentiation thinking. Meanwhile, research progress on the modern pharmacological effects of these classic prescriptions was systematically discussed, so as to establish a unique treatment system for CHF by classic prescriptions under the guidance of TCM syndrome differentiation theory and provide innovative diagnosis and treatment strategies for clinical CHF.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality, any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this. CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling, which might be related to oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial function, and angiogenesis. These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk. Historically, Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF, and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets. This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials. Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM, herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF, providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Study on the mechanism of Danpi-Chishao in the treatment of sepsis based on network pharmacology / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the mechanism of Danpi-Chishao in treatment of sepsis based on network pharmacology.Methods:The corresponding targets of Danpi-Chishao and sepsis were carried out through TCMSP database, OMIM database and Genecards database. Cystoscope 3.8.2 software was used to construct the " Chinese medicine-active components-target-disease" network diagram. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were carried out by DAVID database. Weisheng cloud platform was used to draw bubble map.Results:A total of 36 effective components of Danpi-Chishao was obtained, mainly including quercetin, kaempferol, baicalin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, paeoniflorin and so on. There were 96 potential common key targets between Danpi-Chishao and sepsis, such as prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), transcription factor p65 (RELA), phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit gamma (PIK3CG), B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2)-associated X (BAX), BCL-2, Caspase-3 (CASP3) with a degree value>4.9. The result of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that there were 10 important target proteins, including alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), CASP3, PTGS2, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2). The pathways obtained by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis included atherosclerosis pathway, advanced glycation end products (AGE)-receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) signal pathway, cancer pathway, tumor necrosis factor signal pathway, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signal pathway, IL-17 signal pathway and other pathway.Conclusions:The mechanism of the intervention effect of Danpi-Chishao on sepsis may be that the active components such as quercetin, kaempferol, paeoniflorin act on target proteins such as PTGS2, RELA, PIK3CG, BAX, BCL2, CASP3, and through TNF-related signal pathway, HIF-1 signal pathway, IL-17 signal pathway, etc. Nonetheless, the conclusion needs further experimental verification.

Advances in animal models of chronic heart failure and its applications in traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Chronic heart failure(CHF) is a series of clinical syndromes in which various heart diseases progress to their end stage. Its morbidity and mortality are increasing year by year, which seriously threatens people's life and health. The diseases causing CHF are complex and varied, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cardiomyopathy and so on. It is of great significance to establish animal models of CHF according to different etiologies to explore the pathogenesis of CHF and develop drugs to prevent and treat CHF induced by different diseases. Therefore, based on the classification of the etiology of CHF, this paper summarizes the animal models of CHF widely used in recent 10 years, and the application of these animal models in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) research, in order to provide ideas and strategies for studying the pathogenesis and treatment of CHF, and provide ideas for TCM modernization research.

Purpurolide C-based microneedle promotes macrophage-mediated diabetic wound healing via inhibiting TLR4-MD2 dimerization and MYD88 phosphorylation

Delayed wound healing in diabetes is a global challenge, and the development of related drugs is a clinical problem to be solved. In this study, purpurolide C (PC), a small-molecule secondary metabolite of the endophytic fungus Penicillium purpurogenum, was found to promote diabetic wound healing. To investigate the key regulation targets of PC, in vitro RNA-seq, molecular docking calculations, TLR4-MD2 dimerization SDS-PAGE detection, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) were performed, indicating that PC inhibited inflammatory macrophage activation by inhibiting both TLR4-MD2 dimerization and MYD88 phosphorylation. Tlr4 knockout in vivo attenuated the promotion effect of PC on wound healing. Furthermore, a delivery system consisting of macrophage liposome and GelMA-based microneedle patches combined with PC (PC@MLIP MN) was developed, which overcame the poor water solubility and weak skin permeability of PC, so that successfully punctured the skin and delivered PC to local tissues, and accurately regulated macrophage polarization in diabetic wound management. Overall, PC is an anti-inflammatory small molecule compound with a well-defined structure and dual-target regulation, and the PC@MLIP MN is a promising novel biomaterial for the management of diabetic wound.

Bioactive neolignans and lignans from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国天然药物

Two new neolignans and one new lignan (1-3) were obtained from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 1 was a racemic mixture and successfully resolved into the anticipated enantiomers via chiral-phase HPLC. Compound 3 demonstrated moderate inhibitory activity against human carboxylesterase 2A1 (hCES2A1) with an IC50 value of 7.28 ± 0.94 μmol·-1.

Trace therapeutic substances of traditional Chinese medicine: great resources of innovative drugs derived from traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) contains very complex constituents. Besides the major constituents, there are a large number of unclear trace constituents with novel skeletons and potent bioactivities, which have been regarded as one of the important therapeutic substances and the great resources of innovative drugs derived from TCM. The present review highlighted that the development of the trace therapeutic substances of TCM is closely depends on the advanced technologies for their identification, isolation, structure elucidation, and bioactivity evaluation. Additionally, this paper reviewed the novel trace compounds derived from Chinese herbal medicines which have been published in Organic Letters during 2001-2021, and summarized the important licensed drugs originated from the trace therapeutic substances and the discovery and development of trace therapeutic substances of 8 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines. This review provides references for the research and development of TCM therapeutic substances and innovative drugs.

Bioactive sesquineolignans from the twigs of Litsea cubeba / 中国天然药物

In a continuing search for biological natural products with structure diversity from traditional Chinese herbs, five new sesquineolignans (1-5) were isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of the twigs of Litsea cubeba. Their structures were elucidated based on MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, as well as experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compounds 1-5 showed moderate inhibitory effects against LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 macrophages, with IC

A new dimeric benzylisoquinoline alkaloid from Corydalis yanhusuo / 药学学报

(±)-Bicoryanhunine B (1), a new dimeric benzylisoquinoline alkaloid was isolated from the dried tubers of Corydalis yanhusuo by various chromatographic methods, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, reverse phase C18, and semi-preparative HPLC. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, ESI-MS, HR-ESI-MS and 1D/2D NMR. (±)-Bicoryanhunine B (1) was a moderate PD-1/PD-L1 interaction inhibitor with an IC50 value of 7.80 ± 0.49 μmol·L-1. In addition, 1 exhibited potent inhibitory activities against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages with an IC50 value of 4.83 ± 2.21 μmol·L-1.

Switching from efavirenz to elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide reduces central nervous system symptoms in people living with HIV / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Central nervous system (CNS) symptoms after efavirenz (EFV) treatment in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) could persist and impact their quality of life. We assessed the impact of EFV-based regimen replacement with elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (E/C/F/TAF), which is considered an alternative option for subjects who do not tolerate EFV. Most specifically, we assessed the safety and the efficacy of E/C/F/TAF and its effects on the participants' neuropsychiatric toxicity symptoms in a real-life setting.@*METHODS@#A prospective cohort study was conducted among virologic suppressed HIV-positive participants receiving EFV-based regimens with ongoing CNS toxicity ≥ grade 2. The participants were switched to single-pill combination regimens E/C/F/TAF and followed up for 48 weeks. The neuropsychiatric toxicity symptoms were measured using a CNS side effects questionnaire, as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of participants experiencing grade 2 or higher CNS toxicity after EFV switch off at weeks 12, 24, and 48. Secondary endpoints included virologic and immunological responses and the effect on fasting lipids at week 48 after switch.@*RESULTS@#One hundred ninety-six participants (96.9% men, median age: 37.5 years, median: 3.7 years on prior EFV-containing regimens) were included in the study. Significant improvements in anxiety and sleep disturbance symptoms were observed at 12, 24, and 48 weeks after switching to E/C/F/TAF (P < 0.05). No significant change in depression symptom scores was observed. At 48 weeks after switch, HIV viral load <50 copies/mL was maintained in all of the participants, median fasting lipid levels were moderately increased (total cholesterol [TC]: 8.2 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]: 8.5 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]: 2.9 mg/dL, and triglyceride (TG): 1.6 mg/dL, and the TC:HDL-C ratio remained stable.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The single-pill combination regimens E/C/F/TAF is safe and well tolerated. This study reveals that switching from EFV to E/C/F/TAF significantly reduces neuropsychiatric toxicity symptoms in people living with HIV with grade 2 or higher CNS complaints.

A new phenolic acid ester from solid culture of Colletotrichum capsici, an endophytic fungus from Paeonia lactiflora / 中国中药杂志

A new phenolic acid ester, 4'-hydroxyphenylethyl 4,8(R)-dihydroxyphenylpropionate(1), was isolated from an endophytic fungus Colletotrichum capsici of Paeonia lactiflora roots, along with eight known phenolic derivatives, tyrosol(2), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl acetate(3), methyl p-hydroxyphenylacetate(4), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate(5), 4-(4-hydroxyphene-thoxy)-4-oxobutanoic acid(6), 4-hydroxyphenethyl methyl succinate(7), trichodenol B(8) and 4-hydroxyphenethyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate(9). Their structures were identified by a combination of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet(UV) spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism(ECD) spectroscopy. Compounds 2-9 were isolated from this fungus for the first time.

A new dimeric dehydrocorydaline alkaloid from vinegar-prepared Corydalis yanhusuo / 药学学报

Bidehydrocorydaline A (1), a new dimeric alkaloid of proberberine connected by a methylenedioxy group, was isolated from the vinegar-prepared Corydalis yanhusuo by various chromatographic methods, including column chromatography over macroporous adsorption resin and silica gel, reverse-phase MPLC, and semi-preparative HPLC. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. Bidehydrocorydaline A (1) showed potent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with an IC50 value of 2.33 ± 0.57 μmol·L-1.

Characteristic of 8p11 Myeloproliferative Syndrome with Rare Phenotype / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To deeply understand the clinical manifestation, laboratory examination characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of an eight p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS) with rare phenotypes.@*METHODS@#The clinical and laboratory characteristics and the process of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) were summarized in 1 rare EMS case involving T/B/myeloid cells. Meanwhile, 2 similar cases in the previous literature were also discussed.@*RESULTS@#The bone marrow examination indicated that the patient with B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. The lymph node biopsy showed that the patient was T lymphoblastic/myeloid lymphoma. The 8p11 abnormality was found by the examination of bone marrow chromosomes. The RT-PCR examination showed that the BCR-ABL fused gene was negtive. The FGFR1 breakage was found by using the FISH with FGFR1 probe in lymph node. The Mutation of FMNL3, NBPF1 and RUNX1 genes was found by using the whole exome sequencing. The patient received allo-HSCT under CR2. By the follow-up till to September 2019, the patient survived without the above-mentioned disease.@*CONCLUSION@#EMS manifest as neoplasms involving T-lineage, B-lineage, and myeloid-lineage simultaneously is extremely rare. Although the FGFR1 gene-targeted therapy can be conducted, allo-HSCT should be actively considered.

A new lignan glucoside from root of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国中药杂志

A new lignan glucoside,(+)-fragransin A_2-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), has been isolated from the dry root of Paeonia lactiflora by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and MCI-gel resin, as well as preparative RP-HPLC. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis(MS, UV, IR, CD, 1 D and 2 D NMR) and chemical method. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibition against lipopolysaccharide induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages, with an IC_(50) value of 21.3 μmol·L~(-1).

Chemical constituents from ethyl acetate soluble extraction of Litsea cubeba / 中国中药杂志

Chemical investigation on the constituents of the ethyl acetate soluble extraction of Litsea cubeba has resulted in the isolation and structure elucidation of thirty compounds, including one sesquiterpene(1), four monoterpenes(2-5), two γ-butyrolactone derivatives(6 and 7), seven tyramine derivatives(8-14), fifteen aromatic compounds(15-29), and one pyrone derivative(30) via various chromatographic techniques and spectroscopic data analysis(MS, IR, 1 D and 2 D NMR). Compounds 1-7, 13 and 14 were obtained from the genus Litsea for the first time.

Research progress on animal models of chronic pain and its application in traditional Chinese medicine research / 中国中药杂志

The classification of chronic pain is complex and its pathogenesis is not clear, which led to the limited progress of treatment measures.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has certain advantages in the treatment of chronic pain, and its mechanism needs further exploration. The ideal animal model is helpful to elucidate the key mechanism of the occurrence and development of chronic pain and play an important role in the discovery of new drug targets, the development of new therapies and the research on the analgesic mechanism of TCM.In recent years, many scholars at home and abroad have done a lot of research to explore the pathogenesis of chronic pain and the mechanism of TCM, which have achieved some results. On this basis, this study summarizes the selection of experimental animals for chronic pain and the commonly evaluation methods of animal models. According to the latest international classification of diseases, this review organizes the induced methods, evaluation indicators, advantages and disadvantages of seven kinds of chronic pain animal models, such as chronic primary pain, chronic cancer-related pain and so on. Next, this review introduces the chronic pain animal models commonly used in TCM research, in order to provide guidance for the targeted selection of animal models when carrying out relevant experiments in the future.

Research progress of natural non-alkaloids with analgesic activity / 中国中药杂志

Pain is a complex, unpleasant feeling and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, and manifests itself in certain autonomous psychological and behavioral responses. The commonly used opioid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics(NSAIDs) may cause adverse reactions to the kidney, liver, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal system and cause problems of drug abuse. Therefore, it is necessary to study new analgesic drugs with less side effects and significant analgesic effects. A variety of natural products derived from terrestrial plants, microorganisms, marine organisms and fungi have been an important source of clinical medicines and provide an inexhaustible resource for the development and innovation of modern medicines. Therefore, this paper mainly reviews the natural non-alkaloids with analgesic activity in order to provide reference for the research and development of analgesic drugs derived from natural products.

Research progress of natural alkaloids with analgesic activity / 中国中药杂志

Pain is a protective defense response of the body to harmful stimuli. Long-term pain not only seriously affects the body of the patient and brings great pain to the patient, but also brings huge economic burden to the patient's family and society. It has become one of the most serious problems affecting human health. At present, opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are commonly used as painkillers, but they tend to cause a variety of adverse reactions or risk of addiction. To find and develop new analgesic drugs, which are safer and more effective, has become the hot spot and difficulty in medical research. A variety of alkaloids derived from terrestrial plants, microorganisms, marine organisms and fungi have been an important source of clinical analgesic medicines. Various alkaloids have been proved to have good analgesic effects, such as morphine and the related to opioids, the main analgesic active components from Corydalis Rhizoma and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. Here we summarized the research progress of natural alkaloids with analgesic activity, in order to provide reference for the research and development of analgesic drugs based on natural products.