Synergistic Effect of Xiangdan Injection and Qingkailing Injection on Organ Injury Caused by Acute Inflammation and Thrombosis in Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the synergistic effect of Xiangdan injection （XDI） and Qingkailing injection （QKLI） in the treatment of inflammation and thrombosis animal model based on changes of thrombus， inflammatory indexes， organ function， and pathological changes. Method:A total of 100 male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group， a model group， XDI groups （2.5， 5 mL·kg^-1）， QKLI groups （5， 10 mL·kg^-1）， and XDI + QKLI groups ［（2.5+5） mL·kg^-1，（2.5+10） mL·kg^-1，（5+5） mL·kg^-1，and （5+10） mL·kg^-1］ according to the body weight， with 10 rats in each group. Rats were treated correspondingly by intraperitoneal injection once a day for 4 days. The normal control group and the model group received normal saline. On the second day of administration， the model was induced in rats except those in the normal control group. Specifically， 25 mg·kg^-1carrageenan was injected intraperitoneally into the rats， followed by an injection of 50 μg·kg^-1 lipopolysaccharide （LPS） through the tail vein 16 hours later. Twenty-four hours after LPS injection， the rats were detected for liver index， kidney index， the number of platelets （PLT）， thrombus length， and biochemical indicators such as aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， creatinine， and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the content of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of heart， liver， lung， and kidney， as well as the grading of organ injury. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased PLT， lengthened thrombus in the tail， increased liver index， elevated content of ALT， ALP， BUN， IL-6， and TNF-<italic>α</italic> （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and damaged liver， lung， and kidney tissues （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the conditions in the model group， XDI at 5 mL·kg^-1 reduced serum ALT and ALP in rats （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， QKLI at 5 and 10 mL·kg^-1reduced serum levels ALT and ALP， and TNF-<italic>α </italic>content<italic> </italic>（<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. XDI at 5 mL·kg^-1 or QKLI at 10 mL·kg^-1 relieved the LPS-induced lung injury （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the combination of XDI and QKLI decreased the levels of ALT， AST， ALP， and TNF-<italic>α， </italic>and the effect was predominant in the combination of XDI and QKLI at 5 and 10 mL·kg^-1（<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Additionally， the length of the tail thrombus was significantly shortened （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， and the degree of lung injury was also reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The serum levels of ALT and BUN， TNF-<italic>α</italic> content， and liver index of rats were reduced after the combination of XDI and QKLI as compared with those in the single drug groups at the same dose （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:XDI or QKLI can improve or inhibit organ function， organ injury， and inflammatory response in the rat model of inflammation and thrombosis. The combination of the two drugs shows a synergistic effect in reducing the length of venous thrombus， improving liver and kidney function， inhibiting inflammatory factors， and protecting lung， liver， kidney， and other organs.

Adequate Animal Models of Hyperuricemia for Traditional Chinese Medicine Screening / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To compare the characteristics of four commonly adopted animal models of hyperuricemia （HUA） for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） screening， so as to choose the adequate model for screening Chinese herbs and herbal compounds capable of lowering the uric acid. Method:Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into nine groups， namely the normal group， hypoxanthine （HX） + oxonic acid potassium salt （OAPS） model group， yeast extract （YE） + OAPS model group， low-dose adenine （AD） + ethambutol （EMB） model group， high-dose AD + EMB model group， and four positive drug allopurinol （Allo） groups. The modeling lasted for 14 d. The levels of serum uric acid （SUA）， urinary uric acid （UUA）， serum creatinine （SCr）， urea nitrogen （BUN）， kidney injury molecule 1 （KIM-1）， and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin （NGAL） were detected on the 3rd， 7th， and 14th days. Urine was collected on the 7th and 14th days to investigate changes in urine volume， and the crystals in the residual urine were observed under a polarizing microscope. After the modeling， the kidney was harvested and weighed， followed by pathological examination. Result:The urine volumes in the HX + OAPS model group and high-dose AD + EMB model group were significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The renal indexes of each model group， except for the YE + OAPS model group， were significantly elevated （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. The increase in SUA of the HX + OAPS model group and YE + OAPS model group started later （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The KIM-1 and NGAL levels of the HX + OAPS model group rose significantly from the 7th day （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the BUN increased significantly on the 14th day （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant difference in the above-mentioned indicators in the YE + OAPS model group. The SUA levels of the low- and high-dose AD + EMB model groups increased significantly on the 3rd day （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， with a persistent increase found in the low-dose AD + EMB model group. Besides， the increase in BUN， KIM-1， and NGAL occurred later （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. By contrast， the high-dose AD + EMB model group exhibited a transient increase in SUA. Moreover， the SCr， BUN， KIM-1， and NGAL elevation occurred earlier and were more obvious than those in the low-dose AD + EMB model group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Remarkable histomorphological abnormalities were detected in the kidney of all model groups， except for the YE+OAPS model group， with the most severe injury present in the high-dose AD+EMB model group. Conclusion:The four models commonly used to screen TCM have their own characteristics. In the four models， the SUA elevation in the HX + OAPS model group and YE + OAPS model group started later， with the mild renal injury observed in the HX + OAPS model group instead of the YE + OAPS model group. The SUA of the low-dose AD + EMB model group increased rapidly and lasted for a long time， accompanied by mild renal injury. The SUA of the high-dose AD + EMB model group only showed a transient increase， accompanied by severe renal injury. The investigation on the characteristics and application of different models and the evaluation of these models based on sensitive and objective indicators are helpful for determining the suitable model for the screening of TCM targeting HUA in the future.

Pseudoallergic Reactions of Xuebijing Injection and Its Rational Drug Use / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate whether the adverse reactions of Xuebijing injection (XBJJ) are mainly pseudoallergic reactions and explore the influencing factors of its pseudoallergic reactions. Method:Mouse model of pseudoallergic reaction was used to study the anaphylactoid reaction of XBJJ which at 0.5, 1 and 2 times of the highest clinical concentration. Next, we compared the differences in pseudoallergic reactions caused by XBJJ for different storage times after preparation. Specifically, XBJJ was prepared into different concentrations, stored for 10 minutes, 2.5 hours, 6 hours and 24 hours, and then injected into the tail vein of mice. Finally, three different injection speeds of 3 seconds, 45 seconds and 90 seconds were selected for XBJJ injection, and then the differences in the paeudoallergic reactions induced by XBJJ in mice under different injection speeds were compared. Result:XBJJ induces pseudoallergic reactions in mice when the drug concentration is higher than the clinically recommended concentration. Compared with storage for 10 minutes after preparation, the degree of pseudoallergic reaction in mice induced by the same concentration of XBJJ increased with the extension of storage time. In addition, when XBJJ was injected in 3 s (the injection rate was 0.083 mL·s^-1), it produced the strongest pseudoallergic reaction. Conclusion:The adverse reactions induced by XBJJ are mainly pseudoallergic reactions. Excessive storage time after preparation and fast injection speed of XBJJ will lead to aggravation of pseudoallergic reactions in mice. When XBJJ is used clinically, it should strictly follow the usage, dosage, concentration, and drip rate recommended in the drug instruction manual. Rational drug use is of positive significance for improving the safety of XBJJ.

Progress in Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases with Chinese Medicine Injection Recommended in Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Coronavirus Disease-2019 / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by 2019 new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection. The disease is highly contagious and people are generally susceptible to it. New coronavirus pneumonia is mainly transmitted by respiratory droplets and close contact, but there is also a possibility of aerosol infection. At present, the outbreak of new coronavirus pneumonia has spread rapidly to all parts of the world. However, there is still no specific drug in clinical treatment. After the outbreak, the National Health Commission organized relevant experts to launch a series of diagnosis and treatment programs, including traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） treatment programs from the Trial Version 3. Chinese medicine injections were applied from the Trial Version 4. In this paper, the applications of Chinese medicine injections, which were recommended in the Trial Version 7 of Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19, in respiratory infectious diseases were summarized. Besides, the potential roles of Chinese medicine injections in the treatment of new coronavirus pneumonia were discussed, in order to provide theoretical basis for the reasonable application of Chinese medicine injection in COVID-19 treatment.

Preclinical study on adverse reactions of Xingnaojing injection / 中国中药杂志

In this study, different batches of Xingnaojing injection products were first selected for pseudoallergic mice test, and the results showed that after injection of 6.6-fold clinical dose Xingnaojing injection, the mice showed a slight pseudoallergic reaction, while other mice injected with other batches of injections showed no obvious pseudoallergic reaction. Therefore, it is preliminarily believed that this mice model can effectively indicate the risk of pseudoallergic reactions in the clinical application of Xingnaojing injections. In addition, by changing some of the processes, a high concentration of Xingnaojing injection was prepared for mice pseudoallergic test and guinea pig systemic allergy test. The results showed no significant type Ⅰ allergic reaction in guinea pigs. Mild pseudoallergic reactions occurred in mice after a 6.6-fold clinical dose injection. Therefore, it is considered that for sensitive or idiosyncratic people, the concentration of certain chemical components in Xingnaojing injection will increase after entering the body, which may increase the risk of pseudoallergic reaction. However, due to the limitations of test models, the risk of Xingnaojing injection to induce allergic reactions cannot be ruled out. Finally, by increasing the content of borneol and Tween and (or) sodium chloride in Xingnnaojing Injection and testing its pseudoallergic reactions, the results showed that the combination of these three ingredients may produce new trace sensitization substance and induce pseudoallergic reactions.

Mechanism of nephrotoxicity of rhubarb in rats / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this study was to investigate the renal toxicity of rhubarb and its mechanism. The SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal group and two rhubarb extract groups (16, 2 g·kg⁻¹). According to the dose conversion method between human and animal, rhubarb 16 g·kg⁻¹ and 2 g·kg⁻¹ were equivalent to 10 times and 1.25 times of human clinical dose respectively. Rhubarb extract was administered by a gastric gavage to rats once daily for 30 days. Serum urea nitrogen （BUN）, creatinine （CRE） and urine KIM-1, NGAL and renal morphology were analyzed. The expressions of OAT1, OAT3 and clusterin mRNA in kidney were measured. The results showed that the low dose of rhubarb had no obvious renal toxicity. The high dose group showed mild and moderate renal injury and a down-regulation of clusterin mRNA expression in the kidney tissue. The renal toxicity in male animals was heavier than that in female animals. There was no significant change in blood BUN and CRE in the high dose group. But urine NGAL level of the high dose group increased by 51.53% compared with normal group, of which male animals increased more significantly (<0.05, compared with the normal group). The expressions of renal OAT1 and OAT3 mRNA in the low dose group were obviously higher than that in the normal group. The results indicated that the high dose of rhubarb could cause the renal toxicity. The dosage should be controlled reasonably in the clinical use. OAT1 and OAT3 mRNA related to anionic transport in kidney tissue played a compensatory protective role in rhubarb-induced renal injury. But the compensatory effect is relatively weak at the high dose level. In addition, routine renal function indicators BUN and CRE had limitation for monitoring the kidney toxicity of rhubarb. It is suggested that urine NGAL detection might be helpful for monitoring the renal toxicity of rhubarb.

Pharmacokinetic characteristics of fourteen main components of Gegen Qinlian Decoction in rats / 中国中药杂志

Animal traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of application in China, and its clinical application is very extensive. Due to the complex chemical composition in animal traditional Chinese medicine, the basis of chemical research is relatively weak, which leads to the unclear composition and toxic components of many animal Chinese medicines. The relationship between the medicinal and toxic components of animal Chinese medicine has not yet been elucidated. The non-clinical safety evaluation of animal traditional Chinese medicine mainly includes acute toxicity, long-term toxicity, safety pharmacology, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity experiments, and experimental studies such as carcinogenicity are needed when necessary. The current preclinical safety research on animal traditional Chinese medicine is mainly based on the study for toxic animal traditional Chinese medicines. Most animal Chinese medicines have not carried out systematic preclinical and clinical safety studies. The research method is mainly focused on acute toxicity test. It is necessary to carry out systematic preclinical safety studies on animal traditional Chinese medicines, to clarify the possible side effects and its characteristics, its toxic target organs, toxic doses and poisoning mechanisms induced by different animal traditional Chinese medicines. Finally, this paper suggests that in the preclinical safety study of animal traditional Chinese medicine, in-depth research and comparison should be carried out in combination with chemical substance foundation, origin, and collection season, and the safety of "non-toxic" animal traditional Chinese medicine should be carried out when necessary. In addition, it is necessary to rationally use the cutting-edge technologies and methods of toxicology research to fully clarify the preclinical safety information of animal Chinese medicines.

Pseudoallergic reaction characteristics of Qingkailing injection and preliminary screening of allergic substances / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the characteristics and the influencing factors of Qingkailing injection (QKLI) pseudoallergic reaction, and screen out the possible pseudoallergenic substances. The results showed that ICR and Kunming mice had stronger pseudoallergic reactions than BALB/c and C57 mice after being injected with the same dose of QKLI. The pseudoallergic reaction induced by QKLI that was prepared with 0.9% saline was stronger than that prepared with 5% glucose. When the dose was twice of the clinical dose, some batches of QKLI could cause significant or suspected pseudoallergic reactions; when the dose dropped to clinically equal times, all of the batches did not induce pseudoallergic reactions in mice. Different batches of QKLI induced different pseudoallergic reactions in mice. Therefore, QKLI's pseudoallergic reactions might have a certain relationship with different body constitutions. Different solvents might affect the safety of QKLI. QKIL-induced pseudoallergic reactions had the different characteristics between batches, and the dosage should be strictly controlled in clinical use. After the comparison of pseudoallergic reactions induced by different components and different intermediates of QKLI in mice, it was preliminary believed that pseudoallergenic substances might exist in intermediate Isatidis Radix extracts and Gardenia extracts, but specific pseudoallergens shall be furthered studied in subsequent experiences.

Adverse reaction and screening of sensitizing substance of Shuxuening injection / 中国中药杂志

In this study, by the means of the active systemic allergy test in guinea pigs, passive skin allergy test in rats and pseudoallergic test in mice, it was determined that the "allergic reaction" of Shuxuening injection(SXNI) may not be a true IgE-mediated allergic reactions, but mainly of pseudoallergic reaction. Further pseudoallergic test proved that the pseudoallergic reactions of SXNI had difference between batches and showed dose dependence, so it was recommended to establish SXNI pseudoallergic reaction detection method for timely detecting and controlling the product risk of each batch products. In addition, as the pseudoallergic reactions of SXNI were dose-dependent, the dose and concentration of SXNI should be strictly controlled in clinical use. Then the main pseudoallergenic reaction test was conducted for the main monomer components in SXNI and the different fractions of Ginkgo biloba extract in mice, and the results showed that the sensitizing substances may mainly exist in YXY-3 fractions containing flavonol glycosides. By further chemically separating YXY-3, we got four chemical components. Among these four components, YXY-3-1 and YXY-3-2 were testified as the main allergenic components in SXNI through pseudoallergic test in mice. To make sure the specific chemical constituent that is responsible for the pseudoallergic reaction, in-depth study in follow-up experiments should be needed.

Parathyroid hormone 1-34 induce cardiac myocytes hypertrophy via extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 pathway / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of mitogen activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MAPKK, MEK1) and regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) on cardiac hypertrophy induced by rat parathyroid hormone1-34 (rPTH1-34).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes was treated with or without 10(-7) mol/L rPTH1-34 in the absence or presence 2 x 10(-5) mol/L PD98059, a MEK1 inhibitor. Cellular diameter was measured by Motic Images Advanced 3.0 software and the synthetic rate of protein in cardiac myocytes was detected by 3H-leucine incorporation, mRNA expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was measured by RT-PCR and protein expression of ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 was measured by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>rPTH1-34 (10(-7) mol/L) significantly increase cellular diameter (+13.6 microm), 3H-leucine incorporation (+898 cpm/well), ANP mRNA expression (+73.9%), and p-ERK1/2 protein expression (+15%) compared to control cells (all P < 0.05) and these effects could be significantly attenuated by PD98059: cellular diameter (-7.1 microm), 3H-leucin e incorporation (-644 cpm/well), ANP mRNA expression (-52.2%), and protein expression of p-ERK1/2 (-18%) (all P < 0.05 vs. PTH group). PD98059 did not affect control cells without PTH treatment (all P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PD98059 attenuates PTH induced cardiac hypertrophy in vitro via inhibiting the expression of ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2.</p>