Study on the application of model transfer technology in the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid / 药学学报

The modernization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has led to higher standards for the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products. The extraction process is a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine production, and it directly impacts the final quality of the product. However, the currently relied upon methods for quality assurance of the extraction process, such as simple wet chemical analysis, have several limitations, including time consumption and labor intensity, and do not offer precise control of the extraction process. As a result, there is significant value in incorporating near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the production process of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the quality control of the final products. In this study, we focused on the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid (XXZOL), using near-infrared spectra collected by both a Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer and a portable near-infrared spectrometer. We used the concentration of synephrine, a quality control index component specified by the pharmacopoeia, to achieve rapid and accurate detection in the extraction process. Moreover, we developed a model transfer method to facilitate the transfer of models between the two types of near-infrared spectrometers (analytical grade and portable), thus resolving the low resolution, poor performance, and insufficient prediction accuracy issues of portable instruments. Our findings enable the rapid screening and quality analysis of XXZOL onsite, which is significant for quality monitoring during the traditional Chinese medicine production process.

Effect of Guizhi Fuling Capsule on Apoptosis of Myeloma Cells Through Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of Guizhi Fuling Capsule (GZFLC) on myeloma cells and explore the mechanisms.@*METHODS@#MM1S and RPMI 8226 cells were co-cultured with different concentrations of serum and the cell experiments were divided into negative (10%, 20% and 40%) groups, GZFLC (10%, 20%, and 40%) groups and a control group. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays and flow cytometry were used to detect the viability and apoptosis levels of myeloma cells. The effects on mitochondria were examined by reactive oxygen specie (ROS) and tetrechloro-tetraethylbenzimidazol carbocyanine iodide (JC-1) assays. Western blot was used to detect the expression of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X (Bax), cleaved caspase-3, -9, cytochrome C (Cytc) and apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf-1). RPMI 8226 cells (2 × 107) were subcutaneously inoculated into 48 nude mice to study the in vivo antitumor effects of GZFLC. The mice were randomly divided into four groups using a completely randomized design, the high-, medium-, or low-dose GZFLC (840, 420, or 210 mg/kg per day, respectively) or an equal volume of distilled water, administered daily for 15 days. The tumor volume changes in and survival times of the mice in the GZFLC-administered groups and a control group were observed. Cytc and Apaf-1 expression levels were detected by immunohistochemistry.@*RESULTS@#GZFLC drug serum decreased the viability and increased the apoptosis of myeloam cells (P<0.05). In addition, this drug increased the ROS levels and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential (P<0.01). Western blot showed that the Bcl-2/Bax ratios were decreased in the GZFLC drug serum-treated groups, whereas the expression levels of cleaved caspase-3, -9, Cytc and Apaf-1 were increased (all P<0.01). Over time, the myeloma tumor volumes of the mice in the GZFLC-administered groups decreased, and survival time of the mice in the GZFLC-administered groups were longer than that of the mice in the control group. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor tissues from the mice in the GZFLC-administered groups revealed that the Cytc and Apaf-1 expression levels were increased (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#GZFLC promoted apoptosis of myeloma cells through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and significantly reduced the tumor volumes in mice with myeloma, which prolonged the survival times of the mice.

Current status of lymph node dissection in pyloric-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

With the gradual increase in the diagnosis rate of early gastric cancer, clinicians must consider prevention of gastric anatomical structure and physiological function while ensuring the radical treatment of the tumor. Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy is a function- preserving operation that preserves the pylorus, inferior pyloric vessel, and the vagus nerve in patients with early middle gastric cancer. One of the major controversies at present is the thoroughness of limited lymph node dissection for pyloric-preserving gastrectomy. Various studies have reported that the lymph node metastasis rate of early middle gastric cancer was low, especially in the suprapyloric region, inferior pylorus and the upper pancreatic region. Partial lymph node dissection is required for vascular and neurological protection, which is also safe and feasible in studies reported by major centers. Many clinical studies have been carried out in Japan and Korea, and postoperative follow-up has gradually increased evidence, providing the basis for the safety of lymph node dissection. In large case studies comparing pylorus- preserving gastrectomy with traditional distal gastrectomy, the incidence of postoperative morbidity, such as dumping syndrome, bile reflux esophagitis, weight loss, and malnutrition is low. Sentinel lymph node navigation technology is gradually applied to the diagnosis and treatment of early gastric cancer, and its clinical application value still needs further research.

Prognostic Value of MRI Arterial-phase Enhancement Pattern in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Patients / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo investigate the prognostic value of the enhancement pattern in arterial phase of preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） in evaluating the disease-free survival （DFS） and overall survival （OS） in patients undergoing curative resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma （ICC）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was done on the clinical， preoperative MRI findings and postoperative follow-up results of 93 pathologically confirmed ICC patients undergoing surgery in our hospital between January 2018 and December 2021. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank test were used to compare the DFS and OS of three groups with different arterial enhancement patterns. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting DFS and OS. ResultsThere were significant differences in DFS and OS among the 3 groups （log-rank test， P < 0.05）. The arterial enhancement pattern was an independent predictive factor for DFS （using diffuse hyperenhancement as a reference， peripheral rim enhancement： HR = 3.550； 95%CI： 1.16 ~ 10.8； P = 0.026；diffuse hypoenhancement： HR = 3.430； 95%CI： 1.04 ~ 11.3； P = 0.042）. The arterial enhancement pattern and tumor location were predictive factors for OS （（using diffuse hyperenhancement as a reference， diffuse hypoenhancement， HR = 8.500； 95%CI： 1.09-66.3； P = 0.041； using tumor distal location as a reference， tumor perihilar location HR=2.583，95%CI： 1.14-5.83， P =0.022）. The AUC of arterial enhancement patterns in predicting 1-， 2-， and 3- year DFS were 0.722， 0.748， and 0.617， respectively； in OS， 0.720， 0.704， and 0.730， respectively， which showed better prognostic efficacy than AJCC-TNM staging system. ConclusionArterial-phase enhancement pattern of preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI is an independent predictive factor for DFS and OS of ICC patients， with a better prognostic value than AJCC-TNM staging system， and can be used for the clinical management of ICC patients.

Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Inpatients in a Tertiary Hospital in Guangzhou During the Covid-19 Pandemic / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveAt the end of November 2022， Guangzhou implemented the latest Covid-19 epidemic prevention policy and began to gradually lift the lockdown. However， under the new epidemic prevention situation， the situation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients in China is still unclear. Accordingly， this paper aims to study the SARS-CoV-2 infection of hospitalized patients in Guangzhou under the new epidemic prevention and control situation. MethodsThe results of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests in our hospital from the end of November 2022 to the beginning of February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests in outpatients and inpatients under the new epidemic prevention situation， and the nosocomial infection of SARS-CoV-2 in inpatients were statistically analyzed. ResultsThis study retrospectively analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results of 13 959 patients， including 6 966 outpatients and 6 993 inpatients. On November 30， 2022， the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results of outpatients began to be positive， indicating that the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 infection had begun. On December 7， one case of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results of hospitalized patients was positive， and nosocomial infections began to break out. On December 15， the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test among patients exceeded 40 %， and the epidemic entered its peak period. After the end of December， the test positive rate gradually decreased， but the positive rate of inpatients was always higher than that of outpatients. Compared with December 2022， the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test of patients in many departments in January 2023 decreased， but the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test of inpatients in the oncology department increased significantly （P < 0.001）. Further analysis found that the nosocomial infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in inpatients was 86.57 % （329/380）. However， the nosocomial infection rate in lymphoma patients ［58.33 % （14/24）］ was significantly lower than that of the hospitalized patients with other disease types （P < 0.001）. ConclusionThe positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing among patients reached its peak in mid-December 2022. In January 2023， the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing gradually decreased， while the number or positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing positive patients in some departments increased. The nosocomial infection rate among hospitalized patients is as high as 90 %. There are differences in the nosocomial infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 among inpatients with different disease types. In summary， this study provides preliminary data on the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection among hospitalized patients in Guangzhou， as well as the protection against infection among hospitalized patients and cross-infection between medical staffs and patients.

Epidemiological characteristics and spatio-temporal distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis cases reported in students from Guizhou Province, 2011-2020 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the trend of epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among smear-positive or other types of students in Guizhou Province from 2011 to 2020, and to provide a reference for improving prevention and control measures. Methods: Data were collected from the Chinese Information System's Notifiable Disease and Tuberculosis Management Information System for disease control and prevention, the Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software was used to analyze the trend of registration rate; the ArcGIS 10.6 software was used to construct a ring map and to perform spatial autocorrelation analysis; the SaTScan 9.7 software was used for spatial-temporal scan statistics. Results: A total of 32 682 student PTB cases were reported in Guizhou Province from 2011 to 2020, including 5 949 (18.20%) smear-positive cases. Most cases occurred from high school students of 16 to 18 years old (43.99%, 14 376/32 682); the annual average registered rate was 36.22/100 000, the highest in 2018 (52.90/100 000), and the registration rate showed an increasing trend. Meanwhile, a similar trend of registration rate was observed among smear-positive or other types of students. The spatialtemporal heterogeneity was found that the "high-high" clustering patterns of smear-positive or other types were aggregated in Bijie City. Six spatialtemporal clusters with statistically significant (all P<0.001) were detected among smear-positive or other cases, respectively. Conclusions: Upward trend with spatial- temporal clusters of PTB cases reported in students from Guizhou Province from 2011 to 2020. Surveillance should be strengthened for high school students, and regular screening should be conducted in high-risk areas to control the source of infection and reduce the risk of transmission.

Epidemiological distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of hepatitis B virus in 15 ethnic groups in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV in different ethnic groups in China. Methods: The HBsAg positive samples were selected by stratified multi-stage cluster sampling from the sample base of national HBV sero-epidemiological survey in 2020 for the amplification of S gene of HBV by nested PCR. A phylogeny tree was constructed to determine the genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV. The distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV were analyzed comprehensively by using laboratory data and demographic data. Results: A total of 1 539 positive samples from 15 ethnic groups were successfully amplified and analyzed, and 5 genotypes (B, C, D, I and C/D) were detected. The proportion of genotype B was higher in ethnic group of Han (74.52%, 623/836), Zhuang (49.28%, 34/69), Yi (53.19%, 25/47), Miao (94.12%, 32/34), Buyi (81.48%, 22/27). The proportions of genotype C were higher in ethnic groups of Yao (70.91%, 39/55). Genotype D was the predominant genotype in Uygur (83.78%, 31/37). Genotype C/D were detected in Tibetan (92.35%,326/353). In this study, 11 cases of genotype I were detected, 8 of which were distributed in Zhuang nationality. Except for Tibetan, sub-genotype B2 accounted for more than 80.00% in genotype B in all ethnic groups. The proportions of sub-genotype C2 were higher in 8 ethnic groups, i.e. Han, Tibetan, Yi, Uygur, Mongolian, Manchu, Hui and Miao. The proportions of sub-genotype C5 were higher in ethnic groups of Zhuang (55.56%, 15/27) and Yao (84.62%, 33/39). For genotype D, sub-genotype D3 was detected in Yi ethnic group and sub-genotype D1 was detected in both Uygur and Kazak. The proportions of sub-genotype C/D1 and C/D2 in Tibetan were 43.06% (152/353) and 49.29% (174/353). For all the 11 cases of genotype I infection, only sub-genotype I1 was detected. Conclusions: Five genotypes and 15 sub-genotypes of HBV were found in 15 ethnic groups. There were significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV among different ethnic groups.

Analysis of the characteristics of viral infections in children with diarrhea in Beijing from 2018 to 2022 / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To explore the characteristics of viral infections in children with diarrhea in Beijing from 2018 to 2022. Methods: Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect viral nucleic acid of Norovirus (NoV), Sappovirus (SaV), Astrovirus (AstV), Enteric Adenovirus (AdV) or antigen of Rotavirus (RV) in 748 stool samples collected from Beijing Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2018 to December 2021. Subsequently, the reverse transcription PCR or PCR method was used to amplify the target gene of the positive samples after the initial screening, followed by sequencing, genotyping and evolution analysis, so as to obtain the characteristics of these viruses. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Mega 6.0. Results: From 2018 to 2021, the overall detection rate of the above five common viruses was 37.6%(281/748)in children under 5 years old in Beijing. NoV, Enteric AdV and RV were still the top three diarrhea-related viruses, followed by AstV and SaV, accounting for 41.6%, 29.2%, 27.8%, 8.9% and 7.5%, respectively. The detection rate of co-infections with two or three diarrhea-related viruses was 4.7% (35/748). From the perspective of annual distribution, the detection rate of Enteric AdV was the highest in 2021, while NoV was predominant in the other 4 years. From the perspective of genetic characteristics, NoV was predominant by GⅡ.4, and after the first detection of GⅡ.4[P16] in 2020, it occupied the first two gene groups together with GⅡ.4[P31]. Although the predominant RV was G9P[8], the rare epidemic strain G8P[8] was first detected in 2021. The predominant genotypes of Enteric AdV and AstV were Ad41 and HAstV-1. SaV was sporadic spread with a low detection rate. Conclusion: Among the diarrhea-related viruses infected children under 5 years of age in Beijing, the predominant strains of NoV and RV have changed and new sub-genotypes have been detected for the first time, while the predominant strains of AstV and Enteric AdV are relatively stable.

Pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone: a clinicopathological analysis of 28 cases / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone. Methods: All cases of pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2018 were retrieved from the surgical pathology records in the Department of Pathology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China. Clinical and radiological data were collected. H&E and immunohistochemistry were used to examine histological and immunophenotypic features and to make the diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The relevant literature was also reviewed. Results: Twenty-eight cases of pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone were respectively collected. The patients' ages ranged from 2 months to 14 years, with a mean age of 7 years. There were 7 females and 21 males. There were 12 cases located in soft tissue, including the finger (n=9), upper arm (n=1) and foot (n=2). There were 14 cases located in the bone of limb, including the femur (n=8), tibia (n=4), clavicle (n=2), fibula (n=2) and radius (n=1). There were 2 cases of myofibromatosis involving multiple bones. Radiology showed lytic lesions in the bone. The proliferation of spindle-shaped myofibroblasts arranged in fascicles with indistinct eosinophilic cytoplasm and bland nuclei, with no pleomorphism and cytological atypia. The characteristic histologic structure was the biphasic nodular growth pattern with cellular and paucicellular regions. The tumors might arrange in a hemangiopericytoma-like pattern. The stroma varied between dense fibrosis and myxoid changes. The reactive new bone formation and inflammatory cell infiltration also existed. Immunohistochemical study showed that the SMA was positive. The surgical resections were performed. One of the patients had tumor recurrence as a result of 11-month follow-up. Conclusions: The pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone is a very rare benign tumor and has a good prognosis. It has a characteristic morphology and its differential diagnosis from other spindle cell tumors could be made with the immunohistochemical analysis.

Responses of blood parameters and hemoglobin subtypes in plateau zokors and plateau pikas to different altitude habitats / 生理学报

The plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) and plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) are native species unique to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau with successful adaptation to the hypoxic environment. In this study, the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, mean hematocrit and mean volume of red blood cells were measured in plateau zokors and plateau pikas at different altitudes. Hemoglobin subtypes of two plateau animals were identified by mass spectrometry sequencing. The forward selection sites in two animals' hemoglobin subunits were analyzed by PAML4.8 program. Homologous modeling was used to analyze the effect of forward selection sites on the affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen. The adapting strategies of plateau zokors and plateau pikas to hypoxia at different altitudes were analyzed through comparing blood parameters between the two species. The results indicated that, with increasing altitudes, plateau zokors responded to hypoxia by increasing red blood cell count and decreasing red blood cell volume, while plateau pikas took the opposite strategies to plateau zokors. In erythrocytes of plateau pikas, both adult α2β2 and fetal α2ε2 hemoglobins were identified, while erythrocytes of plateau zokors only had adult α2β2 hemoglobin, however the affinities and the allosteric effects of the hemoglobin of plateau zokors were significantly higher than those of plateau pikas. Mechanistically, in the α and β subunits of hemoglobin of plateau zokors and pikas, the numbers and the sites of the positively selected amino acids as well as the side chain groups polarities and orientations of the amino acids differed significantly, which may result in the difference of the affinities to oxygen of hemoglobin between plateau zokors and pikas. In conclusion, the adaptive mechanisms to respond to hypoxia in blood properties of plateau zokors and plateau pikas are species-specific.

Protective Effects and Potential Mechanism of Tongxinluo on Mice with Thromboangiitis Obliterans Induced by Sodium Laurate / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of Tongxinluo (TXL) on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Ninety male C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table: the sham group, TAO model group, Compound Danshen Tablet (CDT) group, and the high-, medium-, and low-dose TXL groups. All mice except the sham group were injected with sodium laurate (0.1 mL, 5 mg/mL) in the femoral artery to establish TAO mouse model. After modeling, mice in the sham and TAO model groups were intragastrically administered 0.5% (w/v) sodium carboxymethylcellulose, mice in the CDT group were intragastrically administered 0.52 g/kg CDT, and mice in the TXL-H, TXL-M, and TXL-L groups were intragastrically administered 1.5, 0.75, and 0.38 g/kg TXL, respectively. After 4 weeks of gavage, the recovery of blood flow in the lower limbs of mice was detected by Laser Doppler Imaging. The pathological changes and thrombosis of the femoral artery were observed by morphological examination. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the femoral artery wall were detected by HE staining. Levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-keto-PGF1α), endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) were detected by a fully automated biochemical analyzer.@*RESULTS@#TXL promoted the restoration of blood flow in the lower limbs, reduced the area of thrombosis in the femoral artery, and alleviated the pathological changes in the femoral artery wall. Moreover, the levels of TXB2, ET-1, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and iNOS were significantly lower in the TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the level of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly higher (P<0.01). In addition, APTT, PT, and TT were significantly prolonged in TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and FIB levels were significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TXL had a protective effect on TAO mice, and the mechanism may involve inhibition of thrombosis and inflammatory responses. TXL may be a potential drug for the treatment of TAO.

Clinical Characteristics and Survival Analysis of Patients with Plasma Cell Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical characteristics, therapeutic response and prognosis of patients with plasma cell leukemia (PCL) and improve the understanding of this disease.@*METHODS@#The clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and treatment response of 27 patients with plasma cell leukemia treated in The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from December 2010 to August 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, and their clinical characteristics were summarized. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.@*RESULTS@#There were 18 cases of primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) and 9 cases of secondary plasma cell leukemia (sPCL). The male to female ratio was 1.7∶1. The median age was 62 years old. The first manifestations were bone pain, fatigue, fever, splenomegaly and bleeding, and a large number of plasma cell infiltration was observed in the morphological examination of peripheral blood and bone marrow cells. 13 cases were detected by immunotyping and all of them expressed CD38/CD138. 8 cases underwent karyotype analysis, and 3 cases were normal, clonal abnormalities occurred in 5 cases. FISH detection was performed in 12 cases, of which 8 cases were abnormal. In 17 cases of bortezomib based chemotherapy, the ovevall response rate was 52.9%, which was higher than that in the non-bortezomib group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P =0.242). The overall median survival time of 27 patients was 6.4 months, the median progression-free survival time was 3.5 months, and the median survival time of patients with pPCL and sPCL was 8.2 months and 2.4 months, respectively, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P =0.031).@*CONCLUSION@#PCL is highly invasive and has diverse clinical manifestations, and is not sensitive to traditional chemotherapy. The median survival time of patients with pPCL is relatively longer than that of patients with sPCL. The chemotherapy regimen based on bortezomib improves the treatment effectiveness and prolongs the survival time of PCL patients.

A new dihydrochalcone from Humulus scandens / 中国中药杂志

To study the chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Humulus scandens, this study isolated thirteen compounds by different chromatographic methods including silica gel column, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Based on comprehensive analysis, the chemical structures were elucidated and identified as citrunohin A(1), chrysosplenetin(2), casticin(3), neoechinulin A(4), ethyl 1H-indole-3-carboxylate(5), 3-hydroxyacetyl-indole(6),(1H-indol-3-yl) oxoacetamide(7), inonotusic acid(8), arteannuin B(9), xanthotoxol(10), α-tocopherol quinone(11), eicosanyl-trans-p-coumarate(12), and 9-oxo-(10E,12E)-octadecadienoic acid(13). Among them, compound 1 was a new dihydrochalcone, and the other compounds were obtained from H. scandens for the first time.

Role of macrophages in heart failure and traditional Chinese medicine intervention / 中国中药杂志

As the disease with high morbidity and mortality in the world, heart failure affects the development of human society. Due to its complicated pathology and limited treatment options, it is urgent to discover new disease targets and develop new treatment strategies. As innate immune cells accompanied by the evolution of heart failure, macrophages play an important role in cardiac homeostasis and stress. In recent years, the role of macrophages in the heart has attracted more and more attention as a potential target for heart failure intervention, and the research on cardiac macrophages has made important progress. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has significant effects on regulating inflammatory response, treating heart failure, and maintaining homeostasis. In this article, researches on the functions of cardiac macrophages and application of TCM were reviewed from the source and classification of cardiac macrophages and the relationship of macrophages and cardiac inflammation, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac angiogenesis, and cardiac electrical conduction, which provided a basis for further basic research and clinical applications.

Baicalin Alleviates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats Through p38 MAPK/NLRP3 Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and mechanism of baicalin （BA） on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced acute lung injury in rats. MethodEighty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into the control group， model group， low-dose BA （BA-L） group， medium-dose BA （BA-M） group， high-dose BA （BA-H） group， dexamethasone （DEX） group， SB203580 group， and BA + SB203580 group， with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the BA-L， BA-M， and BA-H groups were injected intraperitoneally with different doses （10， 50， 100 mg·kg-1） of BA solution， the ones in the DEX group with 5 mg·kg-1 DEX solution， the ones in the SB203580 group with 0.5 mg·kg-1 SB203580 solution， the ones in the BA + SB203580 group with 100 mg·kg-1 BA solution and 0.5 mg·kg-1 SB203580， and those in both the control group and model group with the same volume of normal saline， once per day， for seven successive days. One hour after the last administration， rats in all groups except for the control group were given 5 mg·kg-1 LPS via intratracheal instillation for inducing the acute lung injury， whereas those in the control group received the same volume of normal saline solution. Twelve hours later， the lung tissues were sampled and stained with htoxylin-eosin （HE） for observing the pathological changes， followed by the counting of the total number of cells and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）. The wet/dry weight ratio of the lung tissue and the contents of serum superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were measured. The activity of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the lung tissue was detected by immunofluorescence and the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-18 （IL-18）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in BALF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was conducted to determine the relative expression of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） and Western blotting was carried out to detect the protein expression levels of p-p38 MAPK， thioredoxin interacting protein （TXNIP）， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， and cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-1 （Caspase-1） in the lung tissue. ResultCompared with the control group， the model group displayed inflammatory pathological changes in lung tissue， elevated wet/dry weight ratio， total number of cells and neutrophils in BALF， and ROS and MDA levels （P<0.01）， decreased SOD activity （P<0.01）， and up-regulated IL-1， IL-18， IL-6， TNF-α， p-p38 MAPK， NLRP3， and Caspase-1 expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， BA at different doses， SB203580， and BA + SB203580 all effectively alleviated the pathological changes in lung tissue induced by LPS， reduce the lung wet/dry weight ratio， the total number of cells and neutrophils in BALF， and ROS and MDA levels （P<0.05，P<0.01）， enhanced the activity of SOD （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of IL-1β， IL-18， IL-6，TNF-α， p-p38 MAPK， NLRP3， and Caspase-1 in lung tissue （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionBA has a protective effect against LPS-induced acute lung injury， which may be related to its inhibition of p38MAPK/NLRP3 signaling pathway and the improvement of inflammatory response.

Establishment and optimization of a hyperuricemic nephropathy mouse model / 药学学报

The aim of this study was to establish an efficient and stable mouse model of hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN) by testing different modes of administration of potassium oxonate (PO) combined with hypoxanthine (Hx). Animal welfare and experimental procedures were in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group, a PO+Hx group (i.g.; 100 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 500 mg·kg-1·d-1, respectively), and a PO+Hx group (i.p.; 100 mg·kg-1·d-1, and 500 mg·kg-1·d-1). This HN model was induced by combination of PO and Hx administration once daily for 21 days. The results of serum biochemistry showed that the levels of serum creatinine and 24 h albuminuria were increased compared with the normal group in intragastric administration of PO combined with Hx (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in serum uric acid and hepatic levels of xanthine oxidase. The maximum value of serum uric acid and creatinine was 349.3 μmol·L-1 and 26.4 μmol·L-1, respectively, in mice injected with PO combined with Hx. The levels of liver xanthine oxidase and 24 h albuminuria were significantly increased in mice injected with PO combined with Hx (P < 0.01). Pathological data showed that renal tubules were dilated, the epithelial cells of renal tubules were disordered, and the production of collagen fibers, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidase 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) were slightly increased after intragastric administration of PO combined with Hx mice. Obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells and large area of collagen deposition, with a large amount of ROS and the lipid peroxide 4-HNE were produced in mice injected with PO combined with Hx. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of fibronectin (FN) and urate transporter 1 (URAT1) was increased after intragastric administration of PO combined with Hx in mice and further increased in mice injected with PO combined with Hx. This study demonstrates that injection with 100 mg·kg-1 potassium oxonate combined with 500 mg·kg-1 hypoxanthine establishes a stable and efficient mouse HN model.

Resibufogenin suppresses human hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro / 药学学报

This manuscript aims to investigate the effects of resibufogenin on the proliferation, migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its related mechanisms. MTT assay was used to determine the inhibitory effect of resibufogenin on the growth of four hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were used to evaluate the migration and invasion ability of resibufogenin on MHCC-97H cells. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of migration and invasion related proteins in MHCC-97H cells treated with different concentrations of resibufogenin. The results showed that resibufogenin significantly inhibited the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values on MHCC-97H, HepG2, SK-Hep-1 and Huh-7 cells were 0.55 ± 0.06, 2.83 ± 0.24, 5.25 ± 0.49, 14.89 ± 2.28 μmol·L-1, respectively. Resibufogenin also suppressed the migration and invasion of MHCC-97H cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The protein expression of integrin α2, integrin α6, integrin β1, N-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and transcription factor Twist in MHCC-97H cells were decreased significantly with the increase of the concentration of resibufogenin, while the protein expression of E-cadherin increased. In addition, we found that p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT ratios were significantly reduced after treatment with resibufogenin. In conclusion, resibufogenin can inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC-97H cells in vitro, which is related to the regulation of intracellular migration and invasion protein expression and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Effects of Huatan Jiangzhuo decoction on diet-induced hyperlipidemia and gene expressions in rats / 中国天然药物

Huatan Jiangzhuo decoction (HJD) is a combination of six traditional Chinese medicines that were used for lipid metabolism-related disorders, but its efficacy and underlying mechanisms have not been explored by modern research strategies. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic role of HJD in determining the transcriptome level. Hyperlipidemia model was established by feeding Sprague-Dawley rats with high-fat diet. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected by high-through transcriptome sequencing, followed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. The total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels in hyperlipidemia model rats were significantly increased, whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration decreased when compared to normal rats, and HJD significantly downregulated TC concentrations and liver coefficient in the hyperlipidemia rats. Histology staining showed that HDJ greatly recovered the lipid accumulation in rat hepatic stellate cells and aortic arch vascular wall thickness of hyperlipidemia rats. One thousand nine hundred and thirty-six DEGs were identified in the HJD-treated hyperlipidemia rats, which were associated with various biological processes and signaling pathways such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, AMP-activated Protein Kinase , and insulin signaling pathways. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction further confirmed the downregulated expression of cholesterol 7-α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1), liver orphan receptor(LXRα),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma(PPARγ),andSterol Response Element-Binding Protein 1c(SREBP1c) genes in hyperlipidemia rats treated with HJD. Our data first elucidated the gene expression profile of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia in rats after HJD treatment, and lipid metabolism-related genes (CYP7A1, LXRα, PPARγ, and SREBP1c) may be potentially biomarkers for HJD-alleviated hyperlipidemia.

Triterpenoids from leaves of Ilex guayusa / 中国中药杂志

The chemical constituents from the leaves of Ilex guayusa were investigated. Sixteen triterpenoids were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of dried leaves of I. guayusa by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and ODS column chromatographies and semi-prepa-rative HPLC. Those triterpenoids were identified by NMR, HR-MS, and literature analysis: 3β-hydroxy-11α,12α-epoxy-24-nor-urs-4(23)-ene-28,13β-olide(1), 3β-hydroxy-24-nor-4(23),12-oleanadien-28-methyl ester(2), oleanolic acid(3), 3β,28-dihydroxy-12-oleanene(4), 2α,3β-dihydroxy-11α,12α-epoxy-24-'nor-olean-4(23)-ene-28,13β-olide(5), ursolic acid(6), 3β,23-dihydroxy ursolic acid(7), 3β,28-dihydroxy-12-ursene(8), 3β-28-nor-urs-12-ene-3,17-diol(9), 3β-hydroxyurs-11-ene-28,13β-olide(10), 13β,28-epoxy-3β-hydroxy-11-ursene(11), 3β-hydroxy-28,28-dimethoxy-12-ursene(12), 3β-hydroxy-24-nor-urs-4(23),12-dien-28-oic acid(13), 3β-hydroxy-24-nor-urs-4(23),12-dien-28-methyl ester(14), 2α,3β-dihydroxy-11α,12α-epoxy-24-nor-urs-4(23)-ene-28,13β-olide(15) and 2α,3β-dihydroxy-11α,12α-epoxy-24-nor-urs-4(23),20(30)-dien-28,13β-olide(16). Compounds 1-2 were new compounds, and compounds 4-5, 7 and 9-16 were isolated from I. guayusa for the first time.

Two new pyranonaphthoquinones from Mansoa alliacea / 中国中药杂志

Mansoa alliacea,commonly known as garlic vine,is native to the tropical rain forests of South America and widely cultivated in South China. As a popular folk medicine with various biological activities,however,this plant remains to be fully elucidated in terms of its phytochemical constituents. In this study,two new pyranonaphthoquinones were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the leaves and twigs of M. alliacea by various chromatographic approaches including silica gel,octadecyl silica( ODS),Sephadex LH-20,and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography( PHPLC). Their structures were determined to be 8,9-dimethoxy-α-lapachone( 1) and 7-hydroxy-8,9-dimethoxy-α-lapachone( 2) by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and therefore respectively named as mansonin A( 1) and mansonin B( 2).