Effect of moxibustion at "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4) on immune function in healthy rats based on intestinal flora / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of moxibustion at "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4) on immune function and intestinal flora in healthy rats, thereby investigating the underlying mechanism of moxibustion on immune function.@*METHODS@#Twenty 8-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into a young blank group and a young moxibustion group, with 10 rats in each group. Similarly, twenty 8-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into a middle-aged blank group and a middle-aged moxibustion group, with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the two moxibustion groups received moxibustion at "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4), 15 min per session, once daily, five times a week, for a total of four months. The rats in the two blank groups were fed under normal conditions. After the intervention, thymus and spleen indexes were calculated; the morphology of thymus and spleen tissues was observed using HE staining; the flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD and CD T lymphocytes and the CD/CD ratio was calculated; ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-17 (IL-17); 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the intestinal flora. Additionally, the correlation between the relative abundance of intestinal flora and serum levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17 was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the young blank group, the young moxibustion group exhibited an increase in the cortical area of thymus tissue with tighter lymphocyte arrangement; compared with the middle-aged blank group, the middle-aged moxibustion group showed an increase in thymus index (P<0.05) and an increase in the cortical area of thymus tissue. There were no significant differences in spleen index between the 2 moxibustion groups and the 2 blank groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the expression of CD, CD, and CD/CD ratio between the 2 moxibustion groups and the corresponding blank groups (P>0.05). Compared with the young blank group, the young moxibustion group had elevated IL-6 level (P<0.05); compared with the middle-aged blank group, the middle-aged moxibustion group had decreased IL-10 and IL-17 levels (P<0.05). Compared with the young blank group, the young moxibustion group exhibited increased Sobs index, Ace index, and Chao index (P<0.01, P<0.05), as well as increased relative abundance of Spirochaetota, Treponema, Turicibacter, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (P<0.05), and decreased relative abundance of Dubosiella (P<0.05). Compared with the middle-aged blank group, the middle-aged moxibustion group had increased relative abundance of Spirochaetota, Treponema, norank_f_Peptococcaceae (P<0.05), and decreased relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Allobaculum, and Faecalibaculum (P<0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that relative abundance of Eubacterium_xylanophilum_group and unclassified _f_Lachnospiraceae was negatively correlated with serum TNF-α level (r=-0.39, P=0.03; r=-0.24, P=0.04), while relative abundance of norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014 and Lactobacillus was positively correlated with serum TNF-α level (r=0.37, P=0.04; r=0.43, P=0.02). The relative abundance of Roseburia and Monoglobus was negatively correlated with serum IFN-γ level (r=-0.40, P=0.02; r=-0.44, P=0.01), while relative abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with serum IL-10 level (r=0.43, P=0.02).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion could improve immune function in healthy rats, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of relative abundance of intestinal flora.

Effect of guarana on lipid metabolism in obese rats: a study based on lipidomics / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the effect of guarana on plasma lipid metabolites in obese rats and analyzed its mechanism in the treatment of dyslipidemia in obesity. High-fat diet was used to establish obese rat models, and the therapeutic effect of guarana on obese rats was evaluated by measuring body weight, white fat, liver weight, and lipid content, as well as observing liver histomorphology. Lipid metabolites in plasma of rats in each group were detected by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS lipidomics. The protein expressions of fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, triglyceride synthesis enzyme, carnitine palmitoyltransferase Ⅰ, and acetyl-coenzyme A acyltransferase 2 in rat liver were detected using Western blot. The results revealed that guarana significantly reduced body weight, white fat, and liver weight of obese rats due to high-fat diet, and alleviated dyslipidemia and liver steatosis. Lipidomics showed that some triglycerides and phospholipids were significantly elevated in the high-fat model group, and part of them was reduced after guarana treatment. Western blot found that guarana inhibited the expression of hepatic fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis-related proteins and increased the expression of fatty acid β-oxidation-related proteins. Abnormalities in triglyceride and phospholipid metabolism are the main characteristics of plasma lipid metabolism in obese rats induced by high-fat diet. Guarana may regulate partial triglyceride and phospholipid metabolism by inhibiting hepatic fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis and increasing fatty acid β-oxidation, thereby improving rat obesity and dyslipidemia.

Metabolomic study on urine of chronic inflammation rats treated with Buyang Huanwu Decoction based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS / 中国中药杂志

The study investigated the effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction(BYHWD) on endogenous biomarkers in the urine of rats with chronic inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS), aiming to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of BYHWD on chronic inflammation from a metabolomics perspective. Male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose BYHWD groups(7.5, 15, and 30 g·kg~(-1)). The model group and BYHWD groups received tail intravenous injection of LPS(200 μg·kg~(-1)) on the first day of each week, followed by oral administration of BYHWD once a day for four consecutive weeks. Urine samples were collected at the end of the administration period, and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to analyze the metabolic profiles of the rat urine in each group. Multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were used to analyze the effect of BYHWD on endogenous metabolites. One-way ANOVA and variable importance for the projection(VIP) were used to screen for potential biomarkers related to chronic inflammation. The identified biomarkers were subjected to pathway and enrichment analysis using MetaboAnalyst 5.0. A total of 25 potential biomarkers were screened and identified in the rat urine in this experiment. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed significant increases in the levels of 14 substances(P<0.05) and significant decreases in the levels of 11 substances(P<0.05). BYHWD was able to effectively reverse the trend of most endogenous biomarkers. Compared with the model group, BYHWD significantly down-regulated 13 biomarkers(P<0.05) and up-regulated 10 biomarkers(P<0.05). The metabolic products were mainly related to the biosynthesis of pantothenic acid and coenzyme A, tryptophan metabolism, retinol metabolism, and propionate metabolism. BYHWD has therapeutic effect on chronic inflammation induced by LPS, which may be related to its ability to improve the levels of endogenous metabolites, enhance the body's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities, and restore normal metabolic activity.

Effect of Mitochondrial Function on Cell Senescence and Anti-ging Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Moxibustion： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Since ancient times， delaying aging， health， and longevity have been the universal wish of people. Nowadays， China gives top strategic priority to the development of people's health. How to maintain a healthy life and slow down the aging of the human body is a problem worthy of our attention. Human aging can be shown as cell senescence from the microscopic level. Cell senescence is a process in which cell proliferation and differentiation and physiological function gradually decline. It is a normal physiological function responsible for the removal of damaged cells and is the regeneration and recovery of tissues after injury or acute stress. Aging is an irresistible natural law. Although it is inevitable， it is possible to delay aging. Energy metabolism is an important basis of cell function， in which cells use nutrients such as sugar and fat to produce adenosine triphosphate （ATP）. Mitochondria serve as the cell's power stations， where sugars， fats， and amino acids are eventually oxidized to release energy. Mitochondrial function decreases with age. Changes in mitochondrial dynamics， reactive oxygen species content， autophagy， and metabolites can cause dysfunction of electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation， and induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the internal causes of many aging-related diseases， such as neurodegenerative diseases， Alzheimer′s disease， and atherosclerosis. Chinese medicine with few side effects and rich ingredients and health care moxibustion with safety and efficacy have been widely applied to the field of anti-aging. This study reviewed the effect of mitochondrial function on cell senescence， and retrieved， analyzed， and summarized research papers on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and moxibustion in delaying aging by affecting mitochondrial function， which is expected to provide new insights for further research in this field.

Molecular mechanism analysis of Erzhi Wan in treatment of aging based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

This present study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of Erzhi Wan(a prescription of nourishing Yin and toni-fying liver and kidney) in treatment of aging by network pharmacology. The active constituents and target proteins of Erzhi Wan were searched from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database(TCMSP) and PubChem databases respectively. Aging-related genes were searched from Gene and HAGR databases. Based on the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA), we analyzed the common molecular network, biological pathway and interaction sites between these two parts, and verified some of them by Western blot. Twelve active constituents of Erzhi Wan were screened by TCMSP databases, 69 protein targets were predicted through PubChem, and 148 aging-related genes were found in Gene and HAGR databases. IPA comparison showed that the molecular networks of these two were complex, with diversity of biological functions. The common pathways involved 292 pathways, mainly related to tumors. They acted on hypoxia inducible factor-1α gene(HIF1α), nuclear factor-E2 related factor(Nrf2/NFE2 L2), tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and other sites. Western blot results suggested that Erzhi Wan could down-regulate the expression of HIF1α, with statistical difference(P<0.05). It was concluded that, Erzhi Wan could intervene aging through improving pseudo-hypoxic microenvironment and inflammation. The molecular mechanism of Erzhi Wan in delaying aging was preliminarily revealed, which laid a foundation for further stu-dying the anti-aging mechanism of Erzhi Wan, and also provided a reference for the compatibility mechanism and extended application of Chinese medicine compounds.

Optimized model for formulation prescription of traditional Chinese medicine buccal tablets based on temporal dominant description of sensations combined with multivariate statistical analysis:an example of Compound Caoshanhu Buccal Tablets / 中国中药杂志

The taste is the key to the research and design for formulation prescription of traditional Chinese medicine buccal tablets( TCMBTs). TCMBTs are dissolved in the oral cavity in parallel with the release of the drug,providing a sufficient " time window" for the perception of various basic taste,tactile and retention. The overall taste is the result of competitive inhibition,comprehensive superposition and dynamic change of multiple tastes. Traditional evaluation methods rely mostly on recalled experience score,difficult to reflect the dynamic changes of taste for buccal tablets. Therefore,it is urgent to establish a new optimized model for taste evaluation and formulation prescription according to the formulation characteristics of TCMBTs. To this end,this paper proposed for the first time to construct a research method for the optimal formulation of TCMBTs based on temporal dominant description of sensations combined with multivariate statistical analysis: the sensory test of volunteers was carried out by temporal dominant description analysis method,and elements separation was conducted for the time and taste in the process of inclusion to form a temporal dominant descriptive score of multi-time points and multi-sensory attributes. Finally,the optimal formulation was obtained by multivariate statistical analysis. Taking the formulation prescription of Compound Caoshanhu Buccal Tablets as an example,the research ideas of this method were explained,and the optimal formulation prescription was obtained as follows,Glabrous Sarcandra Extract of 20. 0 g,mannitol of 24. 0 g,microcrystalline cellulose of 12. 0 g,aspartame of 1. 0%,menthol of 0. 7%,and menthol oil of 0. 7%. This study provides a new method for the taste evaluation and formulation research of TCMBTs,providing a new idea for the fine manufacturing and innovative development of TCM buccal tablets in the new era.

Research Outlook of Short-chain Fatty Acids Detected by Ultra Performance Convergence Chromatography / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Gas chromatography (GC) is mainly used to detect the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), but with the deepening of research,the drawbacks of GC have become more and more obvious in the fields of food,chemical engineering and clinical application. The analysis on existing research results showed that ultra performance convergence chromatography (UPC2) was appropriate for the analysis of lipid metabolism. The UPC2 is a new kind of chromatographic separation technology developed in recent five years and the level of SCFAs is associated with the research on multiple diseases. Therefore,application of UPC2 in the detection of SCFAs would be helpful for the scholars at home and abroad to carry out deeper researches,and also helpful to guide the treatment for various metabolic disorders. In this paper,the researches on SCFAs in recent ten years were reviewed; the shortcomings of GC and liquid chromatography (LC) in the detection of SCFAs were reviewed; the development process,basic characteristics and research status of UPC2 at home and abroad were introduced; feasibility and innovation of UPC2 in the detection of SCFAs were summarized. Pretreatment methods for UPC2 application to the detection of SCFAs in feces or serum were collected; the problems that should be noticed during the process of sample pretreatment were pointed out; meanwhile, an research outlook on methodology of UPC2 application in the detection of SCFAs was conducted. The effects of extracting solvent,mobile phase,and auxiliaryt solvent on chromatographic behavior as well as the physicochemical property, type and choice of UPC2 chromatographic column were mainly discussed in this paper. In addition, the choices of basic modifier,acid modifier,and salinity modifier were briefly outlined, in order to provide efficient,simple,environmental,and economic detection technologies for the research on SCFAs, and provide better reference solutions for the rapid detection of massive clinical samples.

Effect of Erzhiwan on Invasion and Metastasis of Human Colon Cancer Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To investigate the effect of Erzhiwan (EZW) on the invasion and metastasis of human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Method: The abilities of invasion (number of transmembrane cells) and migration (relative width of 48 h scratch) were observed by Transwell assay. Western blot was used to detect vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and E-cadherin protein, respectively. Result: ① Transwell results showed that compared with the blank control group, the number of model piercing cells in each drug group was decreased (PPPPPPPP-1 L-OHP combined with 10% EZW group was lower than that in L-OHP group (PP-1 L-OHP combined with 10% EZW group and L-OHP group increased the expression of E-cadherin protein significantly. Compared with L-OHP group, the expression of E-cadherin protein was the highest (PConclusion: EZW can inhibit the invasion and metastasis of colon cancer HCT116 cells, and the best effect is achieved after combined with L-OHP. This may be related to the decrease of VEGF protein expression and the increase of E-cadherin protein expression after combination with L-OHP.

Methodology for Screening Effective Substances of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Reducing Serum Uric Acid Level / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Gout is caused by the nucleation and growth of monosodium rate crystals in tissues and around joints, which is followed by long-standing hyperuricemia and serum urate of above the saturation threshold. It could cause a series of complications, such as cardiovascular, hypertension, and renal complications. Over the past two decades, the incidences of hyperuricemia and gout have been increasing due to the continuous improvement of living standards and the changes in dietary structure. The prime and most important therapy for hyperuricemia and gout is to reduce serum uric acid levels, but the western medicine for reducing uric acid in clinical application has serious toxic and side effects. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, the application and development of different screening methods for effective ingredients with a low toxicity and side effects from Chinese herbal medicines for reducing serum uric acid levels has attracted much attention in the research and development of drugs for the prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. In this study, the screening methods for extracts, fractions, active monomer components and other effective substances were reviewed and analyzed. According to the findings, the screening methods had a considerable progress both in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that the in vivo methods were mainly applied for studying the urate lowing effect and mechanisms of herbal extracts, while the studies for xanthine oxidase(XOD) inhibitors mainly depended on the in vitro methods. Molecular docking homology modeling and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry have become a new trend for screening effective substances with XOD inhibitory activities and uric acid excretion activities, while cell model will open up a new way for screening effective substances for uric acid excretion. The review provides certain reference for effective components screening of hyperuricemia and gout.

Different Compatibility Ratio and Clinical Application of Shenfutang / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Shenfutang is a famous prescription used in clinic. It has been used for more than one thousand years, and currently is still widely used in clinic, with a significant effect. Shenfutang was first recorded in the Shengji Collection. It consists of two herbs, namely Ginseng Radix Et Rhizoma and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. It can be used to mainly treat syncope and collapse due to sudden collapse of Yang Qi, and the symptoms include disfigurement of the extremities, cold sweats, cold limbs, umbilical and abdominal pain, weak breathing, and slight desire. Ginseng supports healthy Qi, and comforts five organs. Aconitum is good at activating twelve meridians and collaterals. With the effect of returning the yang to rescue the enemy, aconitum can also support yang. Different ratios of ginseng and aconitum are combined for reinforcing Yang of heart, kidney and spleen, so as to treat various syndromes. However, the occurrence and development of diseases are complicated and changeable. Different ratios of Shenfutang may increase the efficacy due to the synergistic effect, or weaken or even lose the original efficacy due to mutual antagonism. Different ratios of ginseng and aconitum can be used for different diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, various types of inflammation, respiratory diseases. In the existing literatures on Shenfutang, there is a lack of systematic summarization for how to adjust the ratios. This paper introduces the effect and mechanism of the combination, and summarizes different ratios of the two herbal ingredients, so as to provide certain reference for the clinical application.

Association between red blood cell increase and gut microbiota induced by high-fat diet / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To investigate the underlyingmechanism on the association of red blood cell and gut microbiota in rats induced by High-Fat Diet(HFD).METHODS A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats (180±20g) were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n=10) was given a normal chow diet(10％ calories of fat),and the High-fat diet group(n=26)was given a HFD(60％ calo-ries of fat).We recorded body weight,length and detected serum glucose,serum lipids and insulin ev-ery two weeks.The fresh arterial blood was collected during the experiments and blood gases were measured immediately (Radiometer Medical ApS, Denmark).Thehematocrit (Hct) and partial pressure of oxygen(pO2)were detected by the sensor cassette,following themanufacturer′s instructions.The de-tection method was conductivity measurements and current method, respectively. The feces from ce-cum were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing(Illumina Miseq,USA). RESULTS According to the insulin resistance(IR),body weight and body length,the model group was divided into two small groups.(1)IR group,in which IR,body weight and body length were higher than the control group (P<0.05). (2) un-IR group, body weight and body length were higher than the control group (P<0.05),but the IR was not significantly different.In addition,the levels of hematocrit(Hct),checktotalhe-moglobin (ctHb) and check total blood oxygen content (ctO2) showed significantly increased in the IR group when compared with the control group (P<0.05), however, the pO2was not statistically signifi-cant. Furthermore, we identified that the genus Lactobacillus was moderate positive correlation with Hct,ctHb and ctO2(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the relative abundance of the Lactoba-cillus was significantly lower in IR group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The high-fat diet induced rats′local tissue hypoxia under the red blood cell increasing,oxygen partial pressure constant and the reduction of Lactobacillus′abundance might be caused by aerobic oxidation and glycolysis inhibition in the meantime.

Effect and mechanism of Huanglianjiedu decoction on high fat-induced atherosclerosisrats and metabolomics study by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To explore the biomarkers and molecular mechanism of Huanglianjiedu decoction (HJD) on high fat diet-induced experimental atherosclerosis in rats. METHODS SD male rats were randomly dividedinto five groups(n=8):normal control group,model group,and three dosage groups (1.5, 3 and 6 g crude drug per kilogram of body weight). Atherosclerosis was induced by the combination of regular intraperitoneal injection of vitamin D3and high fat diet for 8 weeks. HJD was administered by oral gavage from the third week once per day and until the end of the study.After the final administration, the blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), highdensity lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density cholesterol (LDL-C)] and blood gas analyses(PaO2, PaCO2, pH, ctHb, etc); the abdominal aorta sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathology; the liver homogenate were determined for MDA, SOD, OX-LDL, MCP-1 and VCAM-1.The plasma samples were detected using ultraper formance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS).The data of endogenous compounds were preliminarily preprocessed by software Progenesis QI and then analyzed by multivari-ate statistical analysis software EZinfo 2.0 to screen the distinguished biomarkers and the metabolic pathways were analyzed through website http://www.metaboanalyst.ca/. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group,the content of TC,TG,LDL-C,PaCO2,MDA,Ox-LDL,MCP-1 and VCAM-1were significantly increased and HDL-C, PaO2, ctHb and SOD decreased in the atherosclerosis rats. HJD could significantly attenuated the high fat-induced atherosclerosis pathological injury and the above-mentioned indexes (P<0.05). The five groups could be clearly distinguished using the metabolomics method.The administration groups profile exhibited an apparent returning trend from that of the model group and that of the normal control group.Twenty-one endogenous metabolites has been significantly changed in atherosclerosis rats.HJD could remarkably up-regulate 5-L-glutamyl-taurine,L-beta-aspartyl-L-glutamic acid, histidinyl-hydroxyproline, tryptophyl-alanine, 4′-O-methyl-(-)-epicatechin, and down-regulate protoporphyrin IX,azelaic acid,lacto-N-triaose,cinnamoylglycine and 9′-carboxy-alpha-tocotri-enol. CONCLUSION The beneficial effect of HJD in high fat-induced atherosclerosis rats may be due to anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. And it is suggested that HJD may affect the model rats through tryptophan metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, histidine metabolism, lysine degradation and porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism pathway.

Dampness-Heat Accelerates DMBA-Induced Mammary Tumors in Rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of dampness-heat (DH) on the development of mammary tumors in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty rats were randomly divided into 3 groups in a randomized block design, including the control group (n=13), DMBA group (n=14), and DMBA plus DH group (n=13). Rats in the DMBA group and DMBA plus DH group were intragastrically administrated with DMBA (100 mg/kg) for twice, once per week, while rats in the control group were treated with equivalent volumes of sesame oil. After DMBA administration, rats in the DMBA plus DH group were exposed to a simulated climate chamber with ambient temperature (33.0±0.5°C) and humidity (90%±5%) for 8 weeks, 8 h per day. The body weight, time of tumor formation, and number of tumors were measured weekly to calculate tumor incidence, average latency period, average number of tumors, and average tumor weight. At the end of the experiment, the levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) in serum, and the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β in serum and tumor tissue were measured, respectively. Some tumor tissues were processed for hematoxylin-eosin staining to determine the histopathological changes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with DMBA, DMBA plus DH significantly increased the average number of tumors, average tumor weight, levels of serum MMP-9, TIMP-1, TNF-α and IL-1β, and contents of tumor tissue TNF-α and IL-1β (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DH could accelerate the development of mammary tumors through increasing the expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-1, TNF-α and IL-1β in DMBA-induced rats.</p>

Effects of Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil on transdermal absorption in vitro of Chuanxiong and penetration mechanism of skin blood flow / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper was to explore the effects of Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil on transdermal absorption in vitro of Chuanxiong, and to investigate the possible penetration mechanism of their essential oil from the perspective of skin blood perfusion changes. Transdermal tests were performed in vitro with excised mice skin by improved Franz diffusion cells. The cumulative penetration amounts of ferulic acid in Chuanxiong were determined by HPLC to investigate the effects of Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil on transdermal permeation properties of Chuanxiong. Simultaneously, the skin blood flows were determined by laser flow doppler. The results showed that the cumulative penetration amount of ferulic acid in Chuanxiong was (8.13±0.76) μg•cm⁻² in 24 h, and was (48.91±4.87), (57.80±2.86), (63.34±4.56), (54.17±4.40), (62.52±7.79) μg•cm⁻² respectively in Azone group, Frankincense essential oil group, Myrrh essential oil, frankincense and myrrh singly extracted essential oil mixture group, and frankincense and myrrh mixed extraction essential oil group. The enhancement ratios of each essential oil groups were 7.68, 8.26, 7.26, 8.28, which were slightly greater than 6.55 in Azone group. In addition, as compared with the conditions before treatment, there were significant differences and obvious increasing trend in blood flow of rats in Frankincense essential oil group, Myrrh essential oil group, frankincense and myrrh singly extracted essential oil mixture group, and frankincense and myrrh mixed extraction essential oil group when were dosed at 10, 20, 30, 10 min respectively, indicating that the skin blood flows were increased under the effects of Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil to a certain extent. Thus, Frankincense and Myrrh essential oil had certain effect on promoting permeability of Chuanxiong both before and after drug combination, and may promote the elimination of drugs from epidermis to dermal capillaries through increase of skin blood flow, thus enhancing the transdermal permeation amounts of drugs.

Proteomics research of intervention effect of "Qi enriching" herbs on "Qi deficiency" rats based on technology of NanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap / 中国中药杂志

Proteomics method, based on NanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap technology, was applied to explore the biological basis of intervention effect of "Qi enriching" herbs on "Qi deficiency" rats. The "Qi deficiency" rat model was established with caloric restriction combined with excessive swimming. Muscle proteins of vastus lateralis from the blank group, the model group and the ginseng group were detected by NanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap system. The data were imported into Protein Discovery software to identify the proteins and all the raw datum were analyzed by SIEVE software. Compared with model group, 26 significant difference proteins were found in ginseng group, which the variation trend was consistent with the blank group. Through the biological function analysis, the found proteins could be classified into proteins involved in energy metabolism, proteins involved in glucose metabolism, electrolyte balance and material transfer related proteins, inflammation related protein and cytoskeleton protein. The above target proteins and their regulation pathways may be the biological basis which ginseng played a role of tonifying "Qi" of "Qi deficiency" symptom.

Study on discrimination mode of cold and hot properties of traditional Chinese medicines based on biological effects / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of cold or hot properties of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) on biological effect indexes, and analyze the contribution of variables on cold or hot properties, in order to preliminarily establish the discrimination mode for the biological effects of cold or hot properties.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, cold TCM groups (Coptidis Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, Phellodendri Cortex, Gardeniae Fructus, Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and Gentianae Radix) and hot TCM groups (Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Radix, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma, Zanthoxyli Pericarpium, Cinnamomi Cortex and Evodiae Fructus), and orally administered with 10 mL x kg(-1) of corresponding TCM water decoctions for 30 d, twice a day. Altogether 53 biological effect indexes correlated to cold or hot properties of traditional Chinese medicines were founded by searching literatures. The data warehouse were established by using data-mining software Clementine12.0. Data of the blank control group, cold TCM groups (Coptidis Rhizoma, Phellodendri Cortex, Gardeniae Fructus, Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, Gentianae Radix) and hot TCM groups (Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Radix, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma, Zanthoxyli Pericarpium, Cinnamomi Cortex) were selected into a training set. C5.0 algorithm and C&R classification and regression algorithm were adopted to define the importance of variable, create the decision trees, and test hot or cold properties of Evodiae Fructus and Scutellariae Radix.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>According to C&R classification and regression algorithm, SDH activity of livers was the most important hot or cold property, with the significance closed to 30%. It was followed by triglyceride, liver Na' -K' -ATPase enzyme, muscle glycogen and platelet distribution width, with the accuracy up to 97.39% in models. C5.0 algorithm showed that liver SDH activity was the most important hot or cold property, with the significance closed to 40%. It was followed by triglyceride, GOT, muscle glycogen and liver Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase enzyme, with the accuracy up to 98.26% in models. The possibilities that Evodiae Fructus is in hot property and Scutellariae Radix is in cold property were 100. 00% and 77.78% by using both C&R classification and regression algorithm and C5.0 algorithm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The SDH activity of liver is the most important biological effect index to distinguish cold and hot properties of TCMs. The discrimination pathway or mode of cold and hot properties is closely related to energy metabolism.</p>

Effect of euodiae fructus on hepatic energy metabolism-related mechanisms of reserpine-induced asthenia cold syndrome rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the effect of Euodiae Fructus on hepatic energy metabolism-related mechanisms of mitochondria of hepatic tissues of asthenia cold syndrome rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Rats were subcutaneously injected with Reserpine to establish the model. After the oral administration with Euodiae Fructus for 12 d, the oxygen electrode method was adopted to determine the respiration efficiency. The expressions of Cox4, Atp5b, Ucp2,Pgc-1alpha, Nrf1, Tfam mRNA were assayed by using RT-PCR method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Euodiae Fructus 4.2 g x kg(-1) could obviously increase ST3 and RCR of asthenia cold syndrome rats, and expressions of Cox4, Ucp2 Nrf1 mRNA. It could also increase expressions of Atp5b and Pgc-1alpha mRNA, but with no statistical significance. No obvious change was observed in Tfam mRNA expression. Euodiae Fructus 4.2 g x kg(-1) could significantly increase ST3 and RCR of asthenia cold syndrome rats and Pgc-1alpha mRNA and Nrf1 mRNA expressions, and significantly decrease P/O, with no obvious impact on Cox4, AtpSb, Ucp2, Tfam mRNA expressions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Euodiae Fructus can promote mitochondrial respiratory function and oxidative phosphorylation efficiency by improving Pgc-1alpha mRNA and Nrf1 mRNA expressions and regulating Cox4 and Atp5b mRNA in mitochondrial respiratory chain. It can also strengthen mitochondrial uncoupling respiration and add heat production by activating Ucp2 mRNA expression in liver.</p>

Study on solubilization effect of solid dispersion technology and inclusion technology on pulsatillae total saponins / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of solid dispersion technology and inclusion technology on dissolution performance of Pulsatillae total saponins, and preliminarily investigate its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The solid dispersion of Pulsatillae total saponins-PEG 4000 was prepared by the melting method. The inclusion compound of Pulsatillae total saponins-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin ( HP-beta-CD) was prepared by the freeze-drying method. The properties of solid dispersion and inclusion compound were identified by using IR, DSC and NMR. And the dissolution of solid dispersion and inclusion compound were also determined by the small glass method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>IR, DSC and NMR results showed the formation of solid dispersion and inclusion compound. In terms of the dissolution, the inclusion compound ranked first, which was followed by solid dispersion and bulk pharmaceutical chemicals.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The inclusion technology could significantly increase the dissolution of Pulsatillae total saponins, whereas the solid dispersion showed no notable solubilization effect.</p>

Preparation of colon target pellets of Pulsatilla total saponins-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare colon target pellets of Pulsatilla total saponins.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Pulsatilla total saponins-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion was prepared by the water solution-mixing method. Then plain pills of inclusion were prepared by the granulation-spheronization method, and coated by Glatt fluid bed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The dissolution of plain pills of Pulsatilla total saponins at 2 h was 16.0%, while that of plain pills of inclusion at 0.5 h was 91.9%. With Eudragit S100 as the coating material, TEC as the plasticizer and talcum power as the anti-adherent, when the coating weight was 12%, the coating efficiency was high, with almost no bonding and drug release of coated pellets in artificial gastric juice for 2 h. The accumulated drug release in artificial intestinal fluid for 4 h was less than 15%, and that in artificial colon fluid for 4 h was more than 90%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Coated pellets of Pulsatilla total saponins-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion showed a good colon targeted drug release in vitro, thus could be further developed to be oral colon targeted preparations.</p>

Rat intestinal absorption trait of peimine and peiminine in Thunberg fritillary bulb extract / 药学学报

To study the in situ intestinal absorption kinetics and compatibility influence of peimine and peiminine in rats, the absorption of peimine and peiminine in small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and colon of rats was investigated using in situ single-pass perfusion method and the drug content was measured by HPLC-ELSD. Perfusion rate, pH, concentration of drug, gender and bile duct ligation can significantly affect the absorption of peimine and peiminine, the Ka, and Papp values in the condition of pH 6.8 and pH 7.4 had significant difference (P<0.01), as drug concentration irlcreased, the absorption parameters of peimine and peiminine decreased, Ka and Papp between low concentrations and middle concentrations was significant difference (P<0.01). Verapamil can not affect Ka and Papp of peimine and peiminine which are in the extract (P> 0.05). Bitter almonds and licorice can significantly reduce the absorption of peimine and peiminine with the usual dose (P<0.01), extracted separately and together had no significant difference on Ka and Papp (P> 0.05). Experimental results show that the absorption features of peimine and peiminine are basically the same, both of them could be absorbed at all segments of the intestine in rats and had no special absorption window, and with significant differences between male and female individuals. The absorption of peimine and peiminine complies with the active transport and facilitated diffusion in the general intestinal segments. Bitter almond and licorice can reduce the intestinal absorption rate ofpeimine and peiminine.