Construction and evaluation of novel self-assembled nanoparticles of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall / 药学学报

It has become an industry consensus that self-assembled nanoparticles (SAN) are formed by molecular recognition of chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine during the decoction process. The insoluble components in the decoction are mostly in the form of nanoparticles, which can improve the problem of poor water solubility. However, the transfer rate of these insoluble components in the decoction is still very low, which limits the efficacy of the drug. This study aimed to refine the traditional decoction self-assembly phenomenon. The self-assembled nanoparticles were constructed by micro-precipitation method (MP-SAN), and characterized by particle size, zeta potential, stability index and morphology. The formation of MP-SAN and alterations in related physicochemical properties were evaluated using modern spectroscopic and thermal analysis techniques. The quality value transmitting pattern of lignan components within the MP-SAN was assessed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MP-SAN showed sphere-like structure with uniform morphology, particle size of (245.3 ± 3.2) nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of (0.13 ± 0.03), zeta potential of (-48.9 ± 5.9) mV and stability index (SI) of (86.05% ± 2.27%). Comprehensive analyses using ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and other techniques confirmed molecular recognition between the decoction and ethanol extraction, leading to electron rearrangement under the influence of non-covalent bonding. This resulted in the formation of nanoparticles possessing superior thermal stability. As determined by HPLC, the encapsulation rates of the index components in the MP-SAN were all greater than 75% (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol: 77.00%; herpetolide A: 78.57%; herpetrione: 94.53%), and the transfer rates were all higher than 65% (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol: 96.01%; herpetolide A: 67.86%; herpetrione: 65.55%), which were 1.34, 1.38 and 4.81 times compared with those of the traditional decoction. In summary, this study successfully constructed the MP-SAN based on micro-precipitation method to achieve high transfer rate and high encapsulation rate of insoluble components in docoction, which provides a pharmaceutics idea for the efficient utilization of pharmacodynamic substance basis of traditional Chinese medicine.

Construction of digital intelligent minimally invasive research-oriented hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery discipline / 中华消化外科杂志

The emergence and evolution of digital intelligent technology has profoundly influenced the development of minimally invasive research-oriented hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery discipline. Over various periods, our team has always adhered to the principle of "being oriented by clinical issues and driven by clinical needs", continuously carried out innovative research across interdisciplinary boundaries, propelling the evolution of digital intelligent technology. Spanning over two decades, this journey includes the progression from digital virtual human, three-dimensional visualization, molecular fluorescence imaging, augmented reality and mixed reality, artificial intelligence, to the realm of human visualization meta-universe. This evolution facilitates the shift from two-dimensional empirical diagnoses of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical diseases to deep learning intelligent diagnostics, the transition from morphology-based tumor diagnoses to molecular imaging-based diagnostics, and from conventional empirical surgery to intelligent navigation surgery. The authors provide a comprehensive review of our developmental process and achievements within the realm of digital intelligent diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, with the aims to promote the development and application of digital intelligent medicine.

Relationship between the inserting sites of Fu's subcutaneous needling and traditional acupoints: revelation to acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

Focusing on the phenomenon of "de-acupoints" of the needle insertion sites in Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN), the authors allocated the evolution and characteristics of the needle insertion sites of FSN. From six aspects, named morphology and structure, location, nomenclature, numbers and meridian tropism, indications and acupuncture manipulations, the comparison was made between the insertion sites of FSN and traditional acupoints. It is believed: ①The needle insertion sites of FSN has the basic attributes of acupoint, which not only refers to the operation site, but also indicates the reaction of disease; moreover, it is the treatment site with significant therapeutic effect. ②The optimized sites of insertion in FSN should be named differently and their locations and numbers should be specified relatively. ③The insertion sites of FSN should be further intersected and integrated with traditional acupoints, and a part of traditional acupoints should become the insertion sites of FSN. ④Accepting and integrating the insertion sites of FSN, and expanding the scope of traditional acupoints may be the new project in the research of traditional acupoints.

Clinical effect of laparoscopy for the treatment of biliary stricture after biliary dilatation operation / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the safety and effect of laparoscopy for the treatment of biliary stricture after the biliary dilatation operation. Methods: The clinical data of 78 patients,including 27 males and 51 females aged (48.6±14.2)years(range:17 to 76 years),who presented biliary stricture after biliary dilatation operation from January 2017 to June 2021 in the Department of Minimally Invasive Hepatobiliary Surgery,Hunan Provincial People's Hospital,were retrospectively collected,with 38 cases in the laparoscopy group and 40 cases in the laparotomy group. Of the 78 patients,there were 67 cases of cholangiojejunostomy stricture and 11 cases of stricture of the high intrahepatic bile duct. Statistical methods such as t-test and χ2 test were carried out to compare perioperative clinical data and follow-up information between the two groups. Results: Less intraoperative blood loss((102.6±76.4)ml vs. (162.5±105.9) ml, t=-2.874,P=0.005),shorter postoperative stay length of stay((10.5±3.7)days vs. (14.5±6.4)days, t=-3.379,P=0.001) and shorter waiting time for postoperative anal exhaust((2.0±0.6)days vs. (2.5±0.9)days, t=-2.827,P=0.006) were found in the laparoscopy group than that in the laparotomy group,with statistically significant differences. While there was no statistically difference in the operative time((252.8±54.7)minutes vs. (257.4±68.6)minutes,t=-0.331,P=0.742). Postoperative review and follow-up did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups in the residual stone rate(5.3%(2/38) vs. 5.0%(2/40)) and the incidence of recurrent biliary stricture(5.3%(2/38) vs. 7.5%(3/40))(both P>0.05). Conclusion: Laparoscopy may be safe and effective in the treatment of biliary stricture after the biliary dilatation operation,with less trauma,faster recovery compared to laparotomy.

Research Progress on Epigenetics in Endometriosis / 中国医学科学院学报

Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression and function without alterations in gene sequences,including DNA methylation,histone modification,and non-coding RNAs.Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease that affects the fertility and health of reproductive-age women,the etiology of which remains unclear.The recent studies have demonstrated that epigenetics plays a key role in the occurrence and development of endometriosis.This article reviews the research progress in the regulatory mechanism and application of epigenetics in endometriosis.

Investigation of a suspected outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia infection / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo investigate a suspected outbreak of healthcare-associated infection （HAI） caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia （CRKP） in a secondary grade-A hospital， analyze the infection source and transmission route， and put forward corresponding preventive and control measures. MethodsEpidemiological investigation was conducted on 5 patients with CRKP infection in department of neurosurgery during December 23‒30， 2021. Specimens were collected with the environmental microbiology monitoring procedure. CRKP isolated from the environmental samples were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing （MLST） method. Comprehensive measures were taken to control the CRKP infection. ResultsThe 5 infected patients were located in 3 rooms， and all were diagnosed as HAI. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing results from the specimens of 3 CRKP infected patients were the same. Through environmental microbiology monitoring， CRKP strains were detected from the faucet handle and sink specimens in 3 rooms. The results of MLST analysis showed that the faucet handle and sink specimens in room 2 and 3 were ST11 type. The environmental specimen in room 1 was ST23 type. The suspected outbreak was effectively controlled after comprehensive interventions. ConclusionHAI suspected outbreak might be caused by the environmental contamination from the pathogens of CRKP-infected patients as well as the contaminated hands of medical staff and accompanying family members. Strengthening the publicity， education and management of medical staff and accompanying staff， early identification of infection outbreaks， and timely comprehensive control measures are the keys to controlling multidrug-resistant nosocomial infection outbreaks.

Evaluation of ICUs and weight of quality control indicators: an exploratory study based on Chinese ICU quality data from 2015 to 2020 / 医学前沿

This study aimed to explore key quality control factors that affected the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Chinese mainland over six years (2015-2020). The data for this study were from 31 provincial and municipal hospitals (3425 hospital ICUs) and included 2 110 685 ICU patients, for a total of 27 607 376 ICU hospitalization days. We found that 15 initially established quality control indicators were good predictors of patient prognosis, including percentage of ICU patients out of all inpatients (%), percentage of ICU bed occupancy of total inpatient bed occupancy (%), percentage of all ICU inpatients with an APACHE II score ⩾15 (%), three-hour (surviving sepsis campaign) SSC bundle compliance (%), six-hour SSC bundle compliance (%), rate of microbe detection before antibiotics (%), percentage of drug deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis (%), percentage of unplanned endotracheal extubations (%), percentage of patients reintubated within 48 hours (%), unplanned transfers to the ICU (%), 48-h ICU readmission rate (%), ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (per 1000 ventilator days), catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) (per 1000 catheter days), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (per 1000 catheter days), in-hospital mortality (%). When exploratory factor analysis was applied, the 15 indicators were divided into 6 core elements that varied in weight regarding quality evaluation: nosocomial infection management (21.35%), compliance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (17.97%), ICU resources (17.46%), airway management (15.53%), prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (14.07%), and severity of patient condition (13.61%). Based on the different weights of the core elements associated with the 15 indicators, we developed an integrated quality scoring system defined as F score=21.35%xnosocomial infection management + 17.97%xcompliance with SSC guidelines + 17.46%×ICU resources + 15.53%×airway management + 14.07%×DVT prevention + 13.61%×severity of patient condition. This evidence-based quality scoring system will help in assessing the key elements of quality management and establish a foundation for further optimization of the quality control indicator system.

Universal chimeric Fcγ receptor T cells with appropriate affinity for IgG1 antibody exhibit optimal antitumor efficacy

Developing universal CARs with improved flexible targeting and controllable activities is urgently needed. While several studies have suggested the potential of CD16a in tandem with monoclonal antibodies to construct universal CAR-T cells, the weak affinity between them is one of the limiting factors for efficacy. Herein, we systematically investigated the impact of Fcγ receptor (FcγR) affinity on CAR-T cells properties by constructing universal CARs using Fcγ receptors with different affinities for IgG1 antibodies, namely CD16a, CD32a, and CD64. We demonstrated that the activities of these universal CAR-T cells on tumor cells could be redirected and regulated by IgG1 antibodies. In xenografted mice, 64CAR chimeric Jurkat cells with the highest affinity showed significant antitumor effects in combination with herceptin in the HER2 low expression U251 MG model. However, in the CD20 high expression Raji model, 64CAR caused excessive activation of CAR-T cells, which resulted in cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and the decline of antitumor activity, and 32CAR with a moderate affinity brought the best efficacy. Our work extended the knowledge about FcγR-based universal CAR-T cells and suggested that only the FcγRCAR with an appropriate affinity can offer the optimal antitumor advantages of CAR-T cells.

Lethal mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency caused by HADHB gene variation: a case report / 中华围产医学杂志

This article reported a male neonate with lethal mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency (MTPD) caused by compound heterozygous variations in the HADHB gene. The patient presented with poor milk intake complicated by abnormal myocardial enzymes within 24 h after birth and was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University on day 4. Physical examination revealed no obvious abnormalities on admission. Laboratory examination showed increased creatine kinase isoenzyme and cardiac troponin levels, and electrocardiogram suggested sinus tachycardia and low QRS voltage in limb leads. Blood screening for metabolic abnormalities showed high levels of tetradecenyl carnitine and various 3-hydroxycarnitines. Heterozygous mutations of c.739C>T(p.Arg247Cys) and c.607C>T(p.Arg203Ter,272) were detected in the HADHB gene in the boy, which were pathogenic variants included in the Human Gene Mutation Database. Followed up to three months of age, the boy was readmitted to hospital due to poor milk intake for one week and poor response for 2 d after catching a cold. After admission, he quickly developed multiple organs dysfunction such as heart failure and respiratory failure, and then died. Lethal MTPD is rare with no effective treatment and poor prognosis. Lethal MTPD should be highly suspected when unexplained cardiomyopathy, hypoglycemia, acidosis and other metabolic abnormalities appear in the neonatal period, and an early diagnosis could be confirmed with genetic testing in the neonatal period.

Application of bridging study design in preventive vaccine clinical trials / 中华预防医学杂志

Bridging study in vaccine clinical trials means a series of small-scale additional tests on the basis that the original safety and effectiveness of a vaccine have been confirmed in clinical trials, to prove that the characteristics of safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of a vaccine are similar or consistent after component, population and immunization procedure change to other types which can extrapolate data from existing clinical trials. Compared with traditional vaccine clinical trials, bridging trials can promote the approval of vaccines to the market, accelerate the expansion of vaccine application, and promote the use of vaccines across regions and populations. In recent years, the application of bridge study design in vaccine clinical research has become more and more common. In order to better guide and promote the application of bridging trial design in the field of vaccine clinical research, we reviewed the design characteristics and application examples of bridging study design in vaccine clinical trials, and systematically elaborated the design ideas, key points and statistical evaluation methods of bridging study.

Evaluation of ICUs and weight of quality control indicators: an exploratory study based on Chinese ICU quality data from 2015 to 2020 / 医学前沿

This study aimed to explore key quality control factors that affected the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Chinese mainland over six years (2015-2020). The data for this study were from 31 provincial and municipal hospitals (3425 hospital ICUs) and included 2 110 685 ICU patients, for a total of 27 607 376 ICU hospitalization days. We found that 15 initially established quality control indicators were good predictors of patient prognosis, including percentage of ICU patients out of all inpatients (%), percentage of ICU bed occupancy of total inpatient bed occupancy (%), percentage of all ICU inpatients with an APACHE II score ⩾15 (%), three-hour (surviving sepsis campaign) SSC bundle compliance (%), six-hour SSC bundle compliance (%), rate of microbe detection before antibiotics (%), percentage of drug deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis (%), percentage of unplanned endotracheal extubations (%), percentage of patients reintubated within 48 hours (%), unplanned transfers to the ICU (%), 48-h ICU readmission rate (%), ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (per 1000 ventilator days), catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) (per 1000 catheter days), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (per 1000 catheter days), in-hospital mortality (%). When exploratory factor analysis was applied, the 15 indicators were divided into 6 core elements that varied in weight regarding quality evaluation: nosocomial infection management (21.35%), compliance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (17.97%), ICU resources (17.46%), airway management (15.53%), prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (14.07%), and severity of patient condition (13.61%). Based on the different weights of the core elements associated with the 15 indicators, we developed an integrated quality scoring system defined as F score=21.35%xnosocomial infection management + 17.97%xcompliance with SSC guidelines + 17.46%×ICU resources + 15.53%×airway management + 14.07%×DVT prevention + 13.61%×severity of patient condition. This evidence-based quality scoring system will help in assessing the key elements of quality management and establish a foundation for further optimization of the quality control indicator system.

Application of bridging study design in preventive vaccine clinical trials / 中华预防医学杂志

Bridging study in vaccine clinical trials means a series of small-scale additional tests on the basis that the original safety and effectiveness of a vaccine have been confirmed in clinical trials, to prove that the characteristics of safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of a vaccine are similar or consistent after component, population and immunization procedure change to other types which can extrapolate data from existing clinical trials. Compared with traditional vaccine clinical trials, bridging trials can promote the approval of vaccines to the market, accelerate the expansion of vaccine application, and promote the use of vaccines across regions and populations. In recent years, the application of bridge study design in vaccine clinical research has become more and more common. In order to better guide and promote the application of bridging trial design in the field of vaccine clinical research, we reviewed the design characteristics and application examples of bridging study design in vaccine clinical trials, and systematically elaborated the design ideas, key points and statistical evaluation methods of bridging study.

Effect of probiotics on the cognitive function of patients with schizophrenia / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of probiotics on the cognitive function of patients with schizophrenia.Methods:100 schizophrenic patients admitted to Shanghai Jinshan District Mental Health Center from January 2019 to January 2021 were randomly divided into the conventional group (treated with atypical antipsychotics combined with placebo, 50 cases) and the intervention group (treated with atypical antipsychotics combined with probiotics, 50 cases). Before treatment and 3 months after treatment, the feces of the patients were taken for DNA detection to compare the composition of intestinal flora. The cognitive function of the patients was assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and the mental state of the patients was assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale(PANSS). The incidence of adverse drug reactions was compared between the two groups.Results:Before treatment, the relative abundance of Fusobacteria, Proteus and Actinobacteria in the two groups had no statistical significant difference (all P>0.05); After 3 months of treatment, the relative abundance of Fusobacteria, Proteus and Actinobacteria in the two groups decreased compared with that before treatment, and the decline was more significant in the intervention group (all P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in immediate memory, visual span, speech function, attention function, delayed memory and RBANS between the two groups (all P>0.05); After 3 months of treatment, the scores of immediate memory, visual span, speech function, attention function, delayed memory and RBANS in the two groups were higher than those before treatment, and the increase was more significant in the intervention group (all P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in PANSS scores between the two groups ( P>0.05); After 3 months of treatment, PANSS scores in both groups decreased compared with those before treatment, and the decrease degree in the intervention group was higher than that in the conventional group (all P<0.05). During the three months of treatment, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse drug reactions between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Probiotics are used in adjuvant therapy for patients with schizophrenia, which can regulate the patients′ intestinal flora, improve patients′ cognitive function and mental disorders, and do not increase the incidence of adverse drug reactions. They have significant clinical efficacy and high treatment safety.

How to change from traditional surgery to intelligent navigation surgery? / 中华外科杂志

After more than 20 years of multidisciplinary integration of medical science and technology,as well as research and practice in innovative diagnosis and treatment,digital medicine 4.0 has made a profound and important impact on the development of traditional surgery. To combine traditional surgery with digital medicine 4.0 technology is the direction of surgery development in the future.New technologies represented by digital intelligent navigation surgery have been deeply explored and widely applied in the diagnosis and treatment of many surgical diseases. With the innovative development and application of artificial intelligence,Big Data and mixed reality technology,the surgery will develop in ways similar to aerospace automatic and intelligent navigation,leading to the advent of digital medicine 5.0.

Application of augmented reality and mixed reality navigation technology in laparoscopic limited right hepatectomy / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the application effect of augmented reality and mixed reality navigation technology in three-dimensional(3D) laparoscopic narrow right hepatectomy(LRH). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 5 patients with hepatic malignancy admitted to the First Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,Zhujiang Hospital,Southern Medical University from September 2020 to June 2021,all of whom were males,aged from 42 to 74 years.Preoperative evaluation was performed using the self-developed 3D abdominal medical image visualization system; if all the 5 patients were to receive right hemihepatectomy,the remnant liver volume would be insufficient,so LRH were planned.During the operation,the independently developed 3D laparoscopic augmented reality and mixed reality surgical navigation system was used to perform real-time multi-modal image fusion and interaction between the preoperative 3D model and 3D laparoscopic scene.Meanwhile,intraoperative ultrasound assisted indocyanine green fluorescence was used to determine the surgical path.In this way,the LRH under the guidance of augmented reality and mixed reality navigation was completed.The predicted liver resection volume was evaluated before surgery,actual resected liver volume,surgical indicators and postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: All the 5 patients completed LRH under the guidance of augmented reality and mixed reality navigation technology,with no conversion to laparotomy.The median operative time was 300 minutes(range:270 to 360 minutes),no intraoperative blood transfusion was performed,and the median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days(range:7 to 9 days).There were no perioperative deaths,or postoperative complications such as liver failure,bleeding,or biliary fistula. Conclusion: For patients who need to undergo LRH,the use of augmented and mixed reality navigation technology can safely and effectively guide the implementation of surgery,retain more functional liver volume,improve surgical safety,and reduce postoperative complications.

Mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii in Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the active ingredients， therapeutic targets， and relative signaling pathways of Tripterygium wilfordii in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer （TNBC） based on network pharmacology， and to verify the mechanism through in vitro cell model. MethodThe active ingredients of T. wilfordii were screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）. The targets of TNBC were obtained from DisGeNET and GeneCards. Venny was used to identify the potential therapeutic targets of T. wilfordii against TNBC. Protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed with String database. Gene ontology （GO） annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment were carried out with DAVID to predict the mechanisms of potential targets. The molecular docking between triptolide and key targets were performed with AutoDock Vina. The effect of triptolide （0， 5， 10， 20， 30， 40， 50， 60， 80 nmol·L-1） on the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells was determined through methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. The effect of triptolide （0， 12.5， 25， 50 nmol·L-1） on the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells was detected with Hoechst 33342 staining. Western blot was performed to detect the effect of triptolide （0， 25， 50 nmol·L-1） on the expression levels of key targets. ResultT. wilfordii had 23 active ingredients related to 55 potential targets of TNBC. GO and KEGG enrichment revealed that the potential targets were associated with 103 biological processes， 15 cellular components， and 35 molecular functions， and were involved in 140 signaling pathways including atherosclerosis and apoptosis. The results of molecular docking demonstrated that triptolide could bind with the targets including threonine kinase 1 （Akt1）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， cellular tumor antigen p53 （p53）， transcription factor AP-1 （JUN）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 （MAPK8）， prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 （PTGS2）， and Caspase-3. According to the results of MTT assay， triptolide （20， 30， 40， 50， 60， 80 nmol·L-1） inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells compared with blank control （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Hoechst 33342 staining showed that triptolide （12， 25， 50 nmol·L-1） induced the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells compared with black control （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Western blot showcased that 50 nmol·L-1 triptolide down-regulated the relative expression levels of p-Akt， TNF-α， and VEGFA， while 25 and 50 nmol·L-1 triptolide up-regulated the relative expression level of p53 in a dose-dependent manner compared with the blank control （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionT. wilfordii has multiple ingredients， targets， and pathways in the treatment of TNBC. It may regulate p53， VEGFA， TNF-α and other key targets to induce cell apoptosis and suppress angiogenesis and inflammatory response， which provides a scientific basis for the further investigation and clinical application of T. wilfordii.

Quantitative NMR spectroscopy and its application in quality control of Chinese medicinal injection / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicinal injection, made of active components extracted from Chinese medicine or Chinese medicinal compound, is a novel dosage form of Chinese patent medicine in China and is pivotal in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) industry. The quality control standard of Chinese medicinal injection determines its safety and efficacy. The quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance(qNMR) spectroscopy is a non-targeted, non-invasive, and non-destructive technique with high reproducibility, short measurement time, convenient sample preparation, a broad range of linearity, and no requirement on the reference substance of tested components, which is advantageous as compared with traditional chromatographic methods, and it can provide information about the molecular composition of the tested samples. Therefore, in light of multiple challenges in the quality control of Chinese medicinal injection, such as complex composition, difficulties in quantitative analysis, and the shortage of reference substances, the application of qNMR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics techniques was proposed for the quality evaluation of Chinese medicine reference substances, Chinese medicinal injection, and intermediates in the production process, as well as for the stability analysis of Chinese medicinal injection. This study is expected to provide references for the application of qNMR spectroscopy in the quality control of Chinese medicinal injection.

Quality evaluation of ginsenoside reference substances based on qNMR spectroscopy / 中国中药杂志

The present study established a quality evaluation method for ginsenoside reference substances based on quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance(qNMR) spectroscopy. ~1H-NMR spectra were collected on Bruker Avance Ⅲ 500 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a 5 mm BBO probe. The acquire parameters were set up as follows: pulse sequence of 30°, D_1=20 s, probe temperature= 303 K, and the scan number = 32. Dimethyl terephthalate, a high-quality ~1H-qNMR standard, was used as the internal standard and measured by the absolute quantitative method. Methyl peaks of comparatively good sensitivity were selected for quantification, and linear fitting deconvolution was adopted to improve the accuracy of integration results. The qNMR spectroscopy-based method was established and validated, which was then used for the quality evaluation of ginsenoside Rg_1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb_1, ginsenoside Rd, and notoginsenoside R_1. The results suggested that the content of these ginsenoside reference standards obtained from the qNMR spectroscopy-based method was lower than that detected by the normalization method in HPLC provided by the manufacturers. In conclusion, the qNMR spectroscopy-based method can ensure the quality of ginsenoside reference substances and provide powerful support for the accurate quality evaluation of Chinese medicine and its preparations. The qNMR spectroscopy-based method is simple, rapid, and accurate, which can be developed for the quantitative assay of Chinese medicine standard references.

Fingerprint of Shenmai Injection based on ~1H-NMR technique / 中国中药杂志

Shenmai Injection is a Chinese medicinal injection prepared from Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra and Ophiopogonis Radix, which is widely used in clinical practice for the treatment and adjuvant therapy of cardiovascular diseases with significant pharmacological effects. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(~1H-NMR) has the advantages of simple and nondestructive sample pretreatment, fast analysis, abundant chemical information, quantification and no need to follow the standard curve. It is widely used in the analysis and research of complex mixtures of traditional Chinese medicine, clinical blood and urine samples. In this study, the ~1H-NMR fingerprint of Shenmai Injection was established. Thirty-two chemical components were identified, including seven amino acids, eight small molecular organic acids, one alkaloid, four sugars, two nucleosides, seven saponins, and three other components. Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariate analysis of variance(principal component analysis combined with hierarchical cluster analysis) were applied based on the ~1H-NMR fingerprint to evaluate the quality consistency. The results showed high-quality consistency of 82 batches of Shenmai Injection. This study confirms that the ~1H-NMR fingerprint has great potential in the application of quality control of Chinese medicinal injection.

~1H-qNMR quantification of total ginsenosides in Shenmai Injection / 中国中药杂志

A content determination method based on ~1H-qNMR was developed for the determination of total ginsenosides in Shenmai Injection. The parameters were optimized with CD_3OD as the solvent, dimethyl terephthalate as the internal standard, the peak at δ 8.11 as the internal standard peak, and the peaks at δ 1.68 and δ 0.79 as quantitative peaks of total ginsenosides. The developed ~1H-qNMR-based method was validated methodologically. The results showed that the method could achieve accurate measurement of total ginsenosides in Shenmai Injection in the range of 0.167 6-3.091 1 mmol·L~(-1). The developed ~1H-qNMR-based method for total ginsenosides is simple in operation, short in analysis time, strong in specificity, independent of accompanying standard curve, and small in sample volume, which can serve as a reliable mean for the quality control of Shenmai Injection. This study is expected to provide new ideas for the development of quantification methods of total ginsenosides.