RESUMEN
Arnebiae Radix is used widely in TCM external treatment. It has obvious curative effect on skin diseases， wound infection and local inflammation， and is used to treat water and fire burns， skin ulcers， eczema， psoriasis， vitiligo and atopic dermatitis， etc. The clinical and commercial preparations mainly include ointment， liniment and suppository. Modern research has proved that microcapsules， nano-micelles， nanofiber membranes， nanogels and other novel nanoformulations can significantly improve the stability of drug-effective substances， improve local drug concentration and targeting， and perform sound drug release properties in vitro. This paper reviews the variety and application of Arnebiae Radix traditional preparations for external use and the research progress of novel nanoformulations of Arnebiae Radix， from which we prospect to provide some valuable references for the future application and development of Arnebiae Radix external preparations.
RESUMEN
The Ruanjian Sanjie Decoction (RSD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation consisting of Spica Prunellae, Pseudobulbus Cremastrae Seu Pleiones, Concha Ostreae and Semen Coicis, and widely used as an adjuvant in anti-cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of RSD on the extracellular matrix (ECM) of tumors, and on the efficacy of anti-cancer nano-formulations in a tumor-bearing mouse model. The mice were treated with triptolide encapsulated in PEG-modified liposomes (TP-PEG-LPs), either alone or in combination with RSD. The combination treatment significantly retarded tumor growth relative to the untreated controls, indicating the potent adjuvant effect of RSD in targeted anti-cancer therapy. In addition, RSD also reduced the amount of total collagen and collagen I and increased that of collagen III in the tumor ECM, along with decreasing the expression of the pro-angiogenic VEGF. Finally, even high doses of RSD did not significantly affect the liver and kidney function or body weight, indicating low toxicity.