Protective effect of trans-nerolidol on vascular endothelial cell injury induced by lipopolysaccharides / Efectos protectores del trans-nerolidol en lesiones inducidas por lipopolisacáridos en células endoteliales vasculares

This article aimed to discuss the protection of trans - nerolidol on vascular endothelial cells (ECs) injured by lipopolysac charides. ECs were divided into four groups: normal, model, low and high dose trans - nerolidol treatment groups. The cell survival rate and the contents of NO in the cell culture supernatant were determined. The protein expression and transcript level of pe roxisome proliferator - activated receptor - γ (PPARγ), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were determined by western blotting and RT - PCR respectively. Compared with the normal group, cell livability, protein e xpression and mRNA transcript level of PPARγ and eNOS decreased, NO contents, protein expression and mRNA transcript tlevel of iNOS increased in model group significantly. Compared with model group, all the changes recovered in different degree in treatmen t groups. Hence, it was concluded that trans - nerolidol can alleviate the ECs injuryby the regulation of iNOS/eNOS through activating PPARγ in a dose - dependent manner

Este artículo tiene como objetivo discutir la protección del trans - nerolidol en las células endoteliales vasculares (CE) dañadas por lipopolisacáridos. Las CE se di vidieron en cuatro grupos: normal, modelo, grupos de tratamiento con trans - nerolidol de baja y alta dosis. Se determinó la tasa de supervivencia de las células y los contenidos de óxido nítrico (NO) en el sobrenadante del cultivo celular. La expresión de p roteínas y el nivel de transcripción del receptor activado por proliferadores de peroxisomas - γ (PPARγ), el óxido nítrico sint et asa endotelial (eNOS) y el óxido nítrico sint et asa inducible (iNOS) se determinaron mediante western blot y RT - PCR, respectivamen te. En comparación con el grupo normal, la viabilidad celular, la expresión de proteínas y el nivel de transcripción de PPARγ y eNOS disminuyeron, los contenidos de NO, la expresión de proteínas y el nivel de transcripción de iNOS aumentaron significativam ente en el grupo modelo. En comparación con el grupo modelo, todos los cambios se recuperaron en diferentes grados en los grupos de tratamiento. Por lo tanto, se concluyó que el trans - nerolidol puede aliviar el daño en las CE regulando iNOS/eNOS a través d e la activación de PPARγ de manera dependiente de la dosis.

Small Molecules Accelerate Skin Wound Healing: Shikonin Efficacy and Mechanism of Action in Mice / Las Moléculas Pequeñas Aceleran la Curación de Heridas en la Piel: Eficacia de Shikonin y Mecanismo de Acción en Ratones

SUMMARY: The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic wound healing potential and molecular mechanisms of shikonin as small molecules in vitro. A mouse burn model was used to explore the potential therapeutic effect of shikonin; we traced proliferating cells in vivo to locate the active area of skin cell proliferation. Through the results of conventional pathological staining, we found that shikonin has a good effect on the treatment of burned skin and promoted the normal distribution of skin keratin at the damaged site. At the same time, shikonin also promoted the proliferation of skin cells at the damaged site; importantly, we found a significant increase in the number of fibroblasts at the damaged site treated with shikonin. Most importantly, shikonin promotes fibroblasts to repair skin wounds by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study shows that shikonin can effectively promote the proliferation of skin cell, and local injection of fibroblasts in burned skin can play a certain therapeutic role.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar el potencial terapéutico de cicatrización de heridas y los mecanismos moleculares de la shikonina como moléculas pequeñas in vitro. Se utilizó un modelo de quemaduras en ratones para explorar el posible efecto terapéutico de la shikonina; Rastreamos las células en proliferación in vivo para localizar el área activa de proliferación de células de la piel. A través de los resultados de la tinción para patología convencional, encontramos que la shikonina tiene un buen efecto en el tratamiento de la piel quemada y promueve la distribución normal de la queratina de la piel en el sitio dañado. Al mismo tiempo, la shikonina también promovió la proliferación de células de la piel en el sitio dañado. Es importante destacar que encontramos un aumento significativo en la cantidad de fibroblastos en el sitio dañado tratado con shikonina. Lo más importante es que la shikonina promueve la función reparadora de fibroblastos en las heridas de la piel regulando la vía de señalización PI3K/ AKT. Este estudio muestra que la shikonina puede promover eficazmente la proliferación de células de la piel y que la inyección local de fibroblastos en la piel quemada puede desempeñar un cierto papel terapéutico.

Puerarin protects the fatty liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Abstract The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) remains high, and many NAFLD patients suffer from severe ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Currently, no practical approach can be used to treat IRI. Puerarin plays a vital role in treating multiple diseases, such as NAFLD, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, its role in the IRI of the fatty liver is still unclear. We aimed to explore whether puerarin could protect the fatty liver from IRI. C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high‐fat diet (HFD) followed by ischemia reperfusion injury. We showed that hepatic IRI was more severe in the fatty liver compared with the normal liver, and puerarin could significantly protect the fatty liver against IRI and alleviate oxidative stress. The PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was activated during IRI, while liver steatosis decreased the level of activation. Puerarin significantly protected the fatty liver from IRI by reactivating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. However, LY294002, a PI3K-AKT inhibitor, attenuated the protective effect of puerarin. In conclusion, puerarin could significantly protect the fatty liver against IRI by activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Mechanism and application in tissue engineering of the active ingredient of Drynariae Rhizoma promoting bone defect repair / 中国药房

Bone defect has always been a major clinical challenge because of its great difficulty and long period of treatment. Drynariae Rhizoma is a commonly used medicine in osteology and traumatology of traditional Chinese medicine， and its active ingredients（mainly flavonoids） facilitate osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells， osteoclast proliferation， vascular-osteogenic coupling， and inhibit osteoclast activity to promote bone mineralization， and repair and reconstruction of bone defect. As a good substitute for bone regeneration drugs， the active constituents of Drynariae Rhizoma can be loaded on scaffold materials of tissue engineering， which greatly improves the bioavailability of the drug. Meanwhile， the sustained-release microspheres also solve some problems such as sudden drug release from the scaffolds， and the composite scaffolds with active ingredient of Drynariae Rhizoma prepared by them have good ossification activity and osteoinduction， with precise bone repair effects， which meet the diverse performance requirements of bone grafts and have a promising clinical application prospect.

Regulatory effect of autophagy on the resistance of human liver cancer cell Huh7 to lenvatinib / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the regulatory effect of autophagy on the resistance of human liver cancer cell Huh7 to lenvatinib. METHODS Using human liver cancer cell Huh7 as subject， the lenvatinib-resist cell model （Huh7-LR） was generated by the low-dose gradient method combined with long-term administration. The sensitivity of parental cell Huh7 and drug-resistant cell Huh7-LR to lenvatinib was detected by using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Western blot assay and GFP-mCherry-LC3 plasmid transfection were performed to detect the expression levels of autophagic protein Beclin-1， autophagic adapter protein sequestosome 1 （p62）， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） and autophagic level. Furthermore， an autophagy activation model was constructed by cell starvation， the protein expression of p62 and autophagy level were detected by using Western blot assay and GFP-mCherry-LC3 plasmid transfection， and the effect of autophagy activation on the sensitivity of Huh7-LR cells to lenvatinib was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS Compared with parental cells， the drug resistance index of Huh7-LR cells was 6.2； protein expression of p62 was increased significantly， while apoptotic rate， protein expression of Beclin-1 and LC3Ⅱ/ LC3Ⅰ ratio were all reduced significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the level of autophagy was decreased to some extent. Autophagy activation could significantly increase the protein expression of p62 in Huh7-LR cells （P＜0.05） and autophagy level， and significantly increase its apoptotic rate （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Autophagy is involved in lenvatinib resistance， and activating autophagy can reverse the resistance of liver cancer cells to lenvatinib to some extent.

Content study of N-nitroso impurities in 5 types of β-blockers / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To determine the contents of N-nitroso impurities in raw materials/formulations of propranolol， metoprolol， atenolol， esmolol and bisoprolol， and clarify the attention threshold. METHODS Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS）was adopted. An ACE Excel 3 C18-AR column was used for the separation and a mixture of 0.2% formic acid solution with 0.01 mol/L ammonium acetate and methanol was employed as the mobile phase by gradient elution， at a flow rate of 0.60 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 40 ℃ ， and the sample size was 5 μL. The heated electrospray ionization source was employed in the positive full mass spectra-selected ion monitoring mode. The contents of N-nitroso impurities in raw materials/formulations of 15 batches of β-blockers from 10 manufacturers were determined by this method. Discovery Studio software was applied to predict the toxicity of the impurities and estimate the attention threshold. RESULTS Among 5 kinds of β-blockers， the linear ranges of N-nitroso propranolol， N-nitroso metoprolol， N-nitroso atenolol， N-nitroso esmolol and N-nitroso bisoprolol were 1.01-503.38， 1.02-508.38， 0.97-483.63， 1.11-554.27 and 1.05-523.92 ng/mL， respectively （r＞0.999）. The limits of quantitation were 1.04， 0.25， 0.05， 0.55 and 1.05 ng/mL， and the limits of detection were 0.52， 0.08， 0.02， 0.17 and 0.52 ng/mL， respectively. RSDs of precision， reproducibility， recovery， stability and durability tests were all lower than 7.5% （n＝6 or n＝5）. Among the 15 batches of samples， except for 1 batch， N-nitroso propranolol （1.07-8.91 ng/mg）， N-nitroso metoprolol （1.43-3.37 ng/mg）， N-nitroso atenolol （1.33 ng/mg）， N-nitroso esmolol （0.19 ng/mg） and N-nitroso bisoprolol （1.27 ng/mg） were detected in all other batches. According to predictions， the above 5 impurities had varying degrees of reproductive toxicity， mutagenicity and carcinogenicity， with attention thresholds of 1.0， 0.4， 4.3， 0.2 and 46.7 ng/mg， respectively. CONCLUSIONS The established method is simple， rapid， sensitive and specific， the estimated attention thresholds are clear， which can be used for the control of N-nitroso impurities in various β-blockers.

Improvement effect and mechanism of total flavonoids from Rosa multiflora root on vascular injury in rheumatoid arthritis model rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect of total flavonoids from Rosa multiflora root on vascular injury in rheumatoid arthritis （RA） model rats and its potential mechanism. METHODS Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， aspirin group （positive control， 30 mg/kg）， low-dose and high-dose groups of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root （4.15， 8.30 g/kg， by crude drug）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal control group， the RA model was induced in other groups by collagen induction and high-fat diet. After 14 days of modeling， they were given corresponding drug solution/0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution intragastrically， once a day， for 36 consecutive days. The total body score， arthritis index （AI） and swollen joint count （SJC） of the rats were evaluated regularly. After the last medication， serum levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1） and vascular cell adhesion molecule- 1 （VCAM-1） were determined. The pathological morphological changes in the vascular tissue of thoracic aorta were observed； the protein expression of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） and the protein phosphorylation levels of Janus kinase 2 （JAK2） and signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） in vascular tissue of thoracic aorta were measured. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， serum levels of IL-6， ICAM-1 and VCAM-1， protein expression of TLR4， and the protein phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 in vascular tissue of thoracic aorta were increased significantly in model group （P＜ 0.01）. The atherosclerotic plaque （atheroma）， cholesterol crystal， lymphocyte infiltration and a small number of unbroken foam cell aggregation could be seen in the vascular tissue of thoracic aorta. Compared with the model group， total body score （except for the low-dose group）， AI and SJC were decreased significantly in groups of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root on the 28th day （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； total body score，AI and SJC were decreased significantly in low-dose group of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root on the 49th day （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the other quantitative indicators in serum and vascular tissue were significantly reversed in groups of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and pathological damage of vascular tissue was significantly relieved. CONCLUSIONS Total flavonoids from R. multiflora root can significantly improve vascular injury in RA model rats， and its mechanism may be related to reducing the protein expression of TLR4 in vascular tissue and inhibiting the activation of IL-6/JAK2/ STAT3 signaling pathway.

Preparation，characterization and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of tetrandrine-loaded chitosan-stearic acid nano micelles modified with folic acid / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To prepare tetrandrine （TET）-loaded chitosan（CS）-stearic acid （SA） nano micelles modified with folic acid （FA）（ FA-CS-SA/TET nano micelles）， characterize them and study the anti-inflammatory effect in vitro. METHODS FA- CS-SA/TET nano micelles were prepared by ultrasonic method； the preparation technology was optimized by orthogonal test and validation test was also performed with the mass ratio of FA-CS-SA to TET， ultrasound power and ultrasound times as the factors， using the comprehensive score of entrapment efficiency （EE）， drug loading （DL） and particle size as evaluation index. FA-CS-SA/ TET nano micelles prepared by the optimal technology were characterized， and their release performance in vitro was investigated. RAW264.7 cells were used as subjects to investigate their anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. RESULTS The optimal preparation technology included that the mass ratio of FA-CS-SA to TET was 2∶1， ultrasonic power was 200 W， and the ultrasonic frequency was 200 times. The parameters of FA-CS-SA/TET nano micelles prepared by optimized technology included that EE was （98.86± 0.30）%， DL was （28.57±0.34）%， the average particle size was （227.0±9.4） nm， polydispersity index was 0.42±0.04， and the Zeta potential was（12.6±2.3）mV， respectively. The nano micelles were uniform in appearance and round in shape. The nano micelles were released quickly in 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate solution， with a cumulative release rate of （79.49±3.43）% within 72 hours， and its anti-inflammatory effect was stronger than that of TET raw materials. CONCLUSIONS FA-CS-SA/TET nano micelles are prepared successfully in the study， with good drug loading performance， uniform particle size， and good in vitro anti-inflammatory activity.

Effect and mechanism of gracillin-induced autophagy in lung cancer A549 cells / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of gracillin from Reineckia carnea on autophagy in non- small cell lung cancer A549 cells. METHODS Using A549 cells as subjects， the effects of different concentrations of gracillin （0.25， 0.5， 1， 2， 4 μmol/L） on the proliferation of cells were detected by CCK-8 after being treated for different time （12， 24， 48 h）. Compared with the control group without medication， the effect of gracillin （2 μmol/L） on the formation of autophagosomes in cells was observed by transmission electron microscope after 24 h of exposure. The aggregation of GFP-LC3 on autophagosome membrane was detected by GFP-LC3 plasmid transfection after being treated with gracillin （0.25， 0.5， 1， 2 μmol/L） for 24 h. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot assay were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of family with sequence similarity 102 member A（FAM102A）， the expressions of autophagy-related proteins [p62， Beclin-1， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B （LC3B）]， and the expressions of phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway-related proteins in A549 cells after being treated with gracillin （0.25， 0.5， 1 and 2 μmol/L） for 24 h. RESULTS Gracillin significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 was 2.55 μmol/L at 24 h. After 24 h of gracillin treatment， autophagosomes with bilayer membrane structure were found in the cell cytoplasm， and GFP-LC3 green fluorescent spots on autophagosome membrane were obvious， representing an increasing trend as drug concentration. Compared with the control group， mRNA and protein expressions of FAM102A （0.5， 1， 2 μmol/L groups）， protein expression of Beclin-1 （1， 2 μmol/L groups） and LC3B-Ⅱ/LC3B-Ⅰ ratio （2 μmol/L group） were significantly increased in different concentrations of gracillin groups， while the protein expression of p62 （1， 2 μmol/L groups）， and the protein phosphorylations of Akt （1， 2 μmol/L groups） and PI3K （2 μmol/L group） were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Gracillin can promote excessive autophagy in A549 cells by up-regulating mRNA and protein expressions of FAM102A and inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thus inhibiting cell proliferation.

Insights from Japan’s cost-effectiveness analysis policy on pricing for China’s NRDL access / 中国药房

The cost-effectiveness analysis policy for drugs was institutionalized in Japan since 2019， realizing quantitative adjustment of price across varieties. A hierarchical categorization approach was adopted to select medicines with high expected annual sales. For selected medicines， adjustments were made to the premium and profit components within the existing price structure based on a pre-defined incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER） threshold， effectively resolving the issue of inconsistent criteria and magnitudes caused by subjective judgment. Meanwhile， incentive measures like evaluation exemption or threshold enhancement were granted for specific medicines. Besides， a price adjustment mechanism， which was allowed for upward and downward adjustments， involving tiered ICER threshold and quantified formulas， had been established for the premium and profit components of drug price. In China’s National Reimbursement Drug List （NRDL） access， certain issues remained to be addressed： insufficient clarity in the quantitative mechanism of price formation， incomplete price adjustment measures， and lagging in the communication channels. It is recommended that the following measures could be referred to when further improving the scientificity and fairness of drug pricing during China’s NRDL access， such as enhancing the ICER threshold for medicines catering to special populations， quantifying criteria and extents for price adjustment， granting preferential pricing policies to pharmaceutical companies that present high-quality evidence of effectiveness， preceding communication channels with pharmaceutical companies， as well as exploring a price floor mechanism for the drugs with excessive price reduction.

Analysis of driver gene mutations in “Xuanwei” multi-nodular non-small cell lung cancer / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：探讨多结节非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）组织中的驱动基因突变情况与临床病理特征的关系，为多结节NSCLC患者治疗提供分子诊断依据。方法：本研究共纳入2018年1月至2023年10月间云南省肿瘤医院分子诊断中心检测的121例多结节NSCLC患者的253个肺结节肿瘤组织标本，以第二代测序（NGS）技术或扩增阻滞突变系统PCR（ARMS-PCR）技术检测多结节NSCLC 组织中驱动基因突变情况，分析其与患者临床病理特征的关系，比较不同结节间肺癌驱动基因的突变异质性。结果：与非“宣威”NSCLC相比，“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者驱动基因突变具有显著的地域特点，表现在“宣威”患者具有较低（20%）的EGFR敏感突变（L858R、19-del）及较高（27.26%）的EGFR少见突变（主要为G719/S768I、G719）；“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者的KRAS突变率（27.27%）亦显著高于非“宣威”患者突变率（12.59%）（P<0.05）。此外，“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者驱动基因突变不一致率高达69.23%，远高于非“宣威”患者驱动基因突变不一致率（55.07%）（P<0.05）。结论：“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者具有较高的EGFR少见突变及KRAS突变率，同一患者不同病灶之间存在更高的驱动基因突变异质性，本研究将为“宣威”多结节NSCLC的诊疗策略提供更多的选择。

Peiminine inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells by inducing G0/G1 phase arrest / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：探讨贝母素乙对结肠癌HCT116细胞增殖的抑制作用及其分子机制。方法：利用不同浓度的贝母素乙处理人结肠癌细胞HCT116和正常结肠上皮细胞CCD841 CON，通过CCK-8法和结晶紫染色法检测贝母素乙对HCT116和CCD841 CON细胞增殖活力的影响，流式细胞术和WB法检测贝母素乙对HCT116细胞周期及其细胞周期相关蛋白表达的影响。构建HCT116移植瘤裸鼠模型和AOM/DSS结肠癌小鼠模型，观察贝母素乙对小鼠模型肿瘤生长和OS的影响，免疫组化法和WB法检测对移植瘤或肿瘤组织中细胞周期相关蛋白CDK4、CDK6和cyclin D1表达的影响。结果：贝母素乙可显著抑制结肠癌HCT116细胞的增殖能力（P<0.01），诱导HCT116细胞周期G0/G1期阻滞（P<0.01），降低CDK4、CDK6和cyclin D1的蛋白表达水平（均P<0.01）。荷瘤小鼠实验结果显示，贝母素乙（0.75 mg/kg）显著抑制HCT116细胞移植瘤的生长并延长荷瘤裸鼠的OS（P<0.05或P<0.01），降低AOM/DSS模型小鼠的体质量、延长OS、减少癌变肠组织的肿瘤个数和肿瘤体积，下调肿瘤组织中CDK4、CDK6和cyclin D1的蛋白表达（P<0.01或P<0.05）。结论：贝母素乙通过下调CDK4、CDK6和cyclin D1的表达水平，引起细胞周期G0/G1期阻滞，从而抑制结肠癌HCT116细胞的增殖。

Three 2,3-diketoquinoxaline alkaloids with hepatoprotective activity from Heterosmilax yunnanensis / 药学学报

Three 2,3-diketoquinoxaline alkaloids were isolated from Heterosmilax yunnanensis Gagnep. Their structures were determined through 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, and IR as 1-[5′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl] ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (1), 1-[2′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl]ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (2), and 1-ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are novel compounds, and 3 was isolated from H. yunnanensis for the first time. The hepatoprotective activity of these three compounds was evaluated, with compound 3 showing promising hepatoprotective activity.

Recent advances in lamellar liquid crystal emulsification methods encapsulating natural active substances for functional cosmetics / 药学学报

Due to the high similarity with the lipid layer between human skin keratinocytes, functional cosmetics with layered liquid crystal structure prepared by liquid crystal emulsification technology encapsulating natural active substances have become a hot research topic in recent years. This type of functional cosmetic often has a fresh and natural skin feel, excellent skin barrier repair function and efficient moisturizing effect, etc., showing great potential in cosmetic application. However, the present research on the application of liquid crystal emulsification technology to functional cosmetics is still in the initial stage, and there are fewer relevant reports with reference values. Based on the mentioned above, this review provides a comprehensive summary of functional cosmetics with layered liquid crystal structures prepared by liquid crystal emulsification technology from the following aspects: the structure of human skin, the composition of lamellar liquid crystal, the advantages of liquid crystal emulsification technology containing natural active substances used in the field of functional cosmetics, the preparation process, main components, influencing factors during the preparation and the market functional cosmetics with lamellar liquid crystal structure. Finally, the prospect of the application of liquid crystal emulsification technology in functional cosmetics is presented, to provide useful references for those engaged in the research of liquid crystal emulsification technology-related functional cosmetics.

Novel antibacterial drug target against Gram-negative bacteria: lipopolysaccharide transport protein LptDE and its inhibitors / 药学学报

The outer membrane composed predominantly of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential biological barrier for most Gram-negative (G-) bacteria. Lipopolysaccharide transport protein (Lpt) complex LptDE is responsible for the critical final stage of LPS transport and outer membrane assembly. The structure and function of LptDE are highly conserved in most G- bacteria but absent in mammalian cells, and thus LptDE complex is regarded as an attractive antibacterial target. In recent 10 years, the deciphering of the three-dimensional structure of LptDE protein facilities the drug discovery based on such "non-enzyme" proteins. Murepavadin, a peptidomimetic compound, was reported to be the first compound able to target LptD, enlightening a new class of antibacterial molecules with novel mechanisms of action. This article is devoted to summarize the molecular characteristics, structure-function of LptDE protein complex and review the development of murepavadin and related peptidomimetic compounds, in order to provide references for relevant researches.

Myricetin attenuates renal fibrosis by activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress / 药学学报

This paper investigates the effect of myricetin (MYR) on renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in mice and its mechanism. The animal experiment has been approved by the Ethics Committee of China Pharmaceutical University (NO: 2022-10-020). Thirty-five ICR mice were divided into control, UUO, UUO+MYR, CBDL and CBDL+MYR groups. H&E and Masson staining were used to detect pathological changes in kidney tissues. Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in renal tissue, and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity detection kit (WST-8) was used to detect the changes of total SOD in renal tissue of CBDL mice. In vitro, HK-2 cells and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1, 10 ng·mL-1) were used to induce fibrotic model, and high glucose (30 mmol·L-1) was used to induce oxidative stress model, and then treated with different concentrations of MYR, WB was used to detect the expression of fibrosis and oxidative stress-related proteins, while NIH/3T3 cells were treated with different concentrations of MYR, and their effects on cell proliferation were detected by 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (Brdu). The results showed that the renal lesions in UUO group and CBDL group were severe, collagen deposition was obvious, the expression of collagen-Ⅰ (COL-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), vimentin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) protein was up-regulated, and the activity of SOD enzyme in CBDL group was significantly decreased. MYR partly reversed the above changes after treatment. MYR inhibited the proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells but had no effect on the proliferation of HK-2 cells, and decreased the upregulation of PAI-1, FN and vimentin in HK-2 cells stimulated by TGF-β1. MYR can also up-regulate the down-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in HK-2 cells stimulated by high glucose. To sum up, MYR can improve renal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro, probably by inhibiting the proliferation of fibroblasts and activating Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

Detection of 14 sulfonate esters impurities of active pharmaceutical ingredients based on GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS / 药学学报

Two methods including gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were established to detect common alkyl sulfonates and aryl sulfonates genotoxic impurities. Four alkyl sulfonates and methyl benzenesulfonate were determined by GC-MS/MS using butyl methanesulfonate as the internal standard, the chromatographic column was HP-5MS UI (30 mm × 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm), the carrier gas was helium, the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1 in a constant flow mode, the sample inlet temperature was set to 250 ℃, the split ratio was 10∶1, and the initial temperature of the heating program was 80 ℃, maintained for 1 minute, and then increased to 240 ℃ at a heating rate of 30 ℃·min-1 for 2 minutes. The mass spectrometry detector was an electron bombardment ion source (EI source), the data collection condition was multi reaction monitoring mode (MRM), and method validation using the raw material of clinical drug citalopram hydrobromide as a sample. The results showed that the linear range of four alkyl sulfonates and methyl benzenesulfonate were good at 3-50 ng·mL-1 and 9-150 ng·mL-1, with a correlation coefficient of r > 0.999, The spiked recovery was 80%-120%. The detection limits were 1 and 3 ng·mL-1; Ten aryl sulfonates determined by LC-MS/MS, the chromatographic column was CSH Fluoro phenyl (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm), the mobile phase was methanol (B)-5 mmol·L-1 ammonium formate (D), with a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min-1, and gradient elution was performed. The gradient program (T/% B) was set as 0/20, 25/90, 35/90, 42/20. The mass spectrometer detector was electro spray ionization with positive ionization mode (ESI+), the data collection was in dynamic multi reaction monitoring mode (dMRM), and the method was validated using the raw material of the clinical drug citalopram hydrobromide as a sample. The results showed that the linear range of aryl sulfonates were good at 9-2 000 ng·mL-1, 3-100 ng·mL-1 and 0.9-30 ng·mL-1, respectively. The correlation coefficient r > 0.999, the spiked recovery was 80%-120%. The detection limits were 30, 1 and 0.3 ng·mL-1. Two detection methods did not detect potential sulfonate genotoxicity impurities in the above APIs. The established analytical methods are reliable and effective, which can provide reference for drug quality control and detection.

Study on the potential allergen and mechanism of pseudo-allergic reactions induced by combined using of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection based on metabolomics and bioinformatics / 药学学报

Based on the strategy of metabolomics combined with bioinformatics, this study analyzed the potential allergens and mechanism of pseudo-allergic reactions (PARs) induced by the combined use of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection. All animal experiments and welfare are in accordance with the requirements of the First Affiliated Experimental Animal Ethics and Animal Welfare Committee of Henan University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: YFYDW2020002). Based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology combined with UNIFI software, a total of 21 compounds were identified in Reduning and penicillin G mixed injection. Based on molecular docking technology, 10 potential allergens with strong binding activity to MrgprX2 agonist sites were further screened. Metabolomics analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology revealed that 34 differential metabolites such as arachidonic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes were endogenous differential metabolites of PARs caused by combined use of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection. Through the analysis of the "potential allergen-target-endogenous differential metabolite" interaction network, the chlorogenic acids (such as chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and isochlorogenic acid A) and β-lactam allergens in the combination of the two may be mainly regulated by PLD1, PLA2G12A and CYP1A1. The three upstream signal target proteins mainly activate the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, promote the degranulation of mast cells, release downstream endogenous inflammatory mediators, and induce PARs.

Cloning and gene functional analysis study of dynamin-related protein GeDRP1E gene in Gastrodia elata / 药学学报

The gene GeDRP1E encoding dynamin-related protein 1E in Gastrodia elata was cloned by specific primers which were designed based on the transcriptome data of G. elata. Bioinformatics analysis on GeDRP1E gene was carried out by using ExPASy, ClustalW, MEGA, etc. Positive transgenic Arabidopsis plant and potato minituber were obtained with the genetic transformation system of Arabidopsis and potato. The plant height and seed setting rate of transgenic Arabidopsis, and agronomic characters, such as size, weight and starch content of potato minituber of transgenic potato were tested and analyzed. And GeDRP1E gene function was preliminarily investigated. The results showed that the open reading frame of GeDRP1E gene was 1 899 bp in length and 632 amino acids residues were encoded, with a relative molecular weight of 69.90 kDa and a molecular formula of C3079H4973N883O933S19. It was predicted that the theoretical isoelectric point was 7.27, the instability coefficient was 43.34, and the average hydrophilicity index was -0.259, which was indicative of an unstable hydrophilic protein. GeDRP1E has no transmembrane structure and signal peptide, and was localized in the cytoplasm. The phylogenetic tree showed that GeDRP1E was highly homologous with DRP1E proteins of other plant species, among which GeDRP1E had the highest homology with DcDRP1E (XP_020689662.1) in Dendrobium candidum, reaching 90.05%. GeDRP1E plant expression vector pCambia1300-35Spro-GeDRP1E was constructed by double digests, and Arabidopsis complementary mutant and potato overexpression strain of GeDRP1E gene were obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation. Compared with the Arabidopsis AtDRP1E mutant, the height and seed setting rate of the GeDRP1E complementation mutant were rescued. The minituber of GeDRP1E overexpression potato had larger size, heavier weight and higher starch content, comparing to wild-type potato. It was preliminarily induced that GeDRP1E was involved in mitochondrial morphology regulation, which related to the growth and development of Arabidopsis plants and potato miniature. The research results laid a foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth and development of G. elata tuber development.

A reporter gene assays for bioactivity determination of human chorinonic gonadotropin / 药学学报

This study constructed a LHCGR-CRE-luc-HEK293 transgenic cell line according to the activation of the cAMP signaling pathway after recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin binding to the receptor. The biological activity of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin was assayed using a luciferase assay system. The relative potency of the samples was calculated using four-parameter model. And the method conditions were optimized to validate the specificity, relative accuracy, precision and linearity of the method. The results showed that there was a quantitative potency relationship of human chorinonic gonadotropin (hCG) in the method and it was in accordance with the four-parameter curve. After optimization, the conditions were determined as hCG dilution concentration of 2.5 μg·mL-1, dilution ratio of 1∶4, cell number of 10 000-15 000 cells/well, and induction time of 6 h. The method had good specificity, relative accuracy with relative bias ranging from -8.9% to 3.4%, linear regression equation correlation coefficient of 0.996, intermediate precision geometric coefficient of variation ranging from 3.3% to 15.0%, and linearity range of 50% to 200%. This study successfully established and validated a reporter gene method to detect hCG biological activity, which can be used for hCG biological activity assay and quality control.