Exploring the potential mechanism of artesunate in intervening with U87 cells and U251 cells with distinct therapeutic effects on the basis of transcriptome sequencing and network pharmacology / 药学学报

Artesunate possesses the potential of intervening with glioma, however, its pharmacological mechanisms remain unclarified. Firstly, the effects of artesunate on cell activity, proliferation and apoptosis of U87 and U251 human glioma cells were explored. It was found that artesunate exerted stronger inhibitory effects on the activity and proliferation of U87 cells than U251 cells. It could significantly promote apoptosis in U87 cells (P < 0.05), while only high dose of artesunate can promote that of U251 cells (P < 0.01), detected by Hoechst and TUNEL cell apoptosis staining. Further, the differential expression gene sets between artesunate-sensitive and non-sensitive cell line, as well the therapeutic effects-related genes of artesunate were obtained through transcriptome sequencing and differential data analysis by using the lysates of U87 and U251 cells before and after artesunate treatment, aiming to explore the molecular mechanism of distinct artesunate sensitivity to two types of cells. Then, key putative targets that related to therapeutic effects were screened by constructing the interaction network of differential genes of three above comparison groups, and calculating their topological characteristics. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that those key putative targets were significantly enriched in several signaling pathways that were closely associated with the main pathological changes of glioma, among which apoptosis-related activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-DNA damage induced transcript 3 (DDIT3)- polyadenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) signaling axis was the most enriched in. Molecular docking indicated that artesunate had fine binding affinities with ATF4 and DDIT3. Above all, this study preliminarily revealed that ATF4-DDIT3-PARP1 signaling axis is the target pathway of artesunate intervening with U87 glioma cells, and PARP1 may be an important gene for U251 cells to develop resistance to artesunate. Our results not only provide fundamental experimental evidence for artesunate as a potential therapeutic drug in glioma treatment, but shed light into overcoming drug resistance in its clinical therapy.

Investigation of pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm based on a "disease-syndrome-symptom-formula" association network analysis / 药学学报

Growing clinical evidence shows that Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm may exert a significant analgesic effect. However, the pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms underlying this prescription are still unclear. In the current study, a "disease-syndrome-symptom-formula" association network analysis was performed to explore the pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm against osteoarthritis (OA), neuropathic pain (NP), chronic inflammatory pain (CIP) and myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) by integrating clinical phenomics data, transcriptomics data and biological interaction network mining. As a result, the three functional modules (Qufeng Sanhan-QFSHG, Shujin Huoxue-SJHXG and Xiaozhong Zhitong-XZZTG) enriched by the drug network targets were all related to the pharmacological effects of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm, including dispersing cold and relieving pain, activating blood and relieving pain, reducing swelling and relieving pain. In addition, the main pharmacological effects of QFSHG and XZZTG were dispelling wind and dispersing cold and dehumidifying, promoting Qi and reducing swelling and relieving pain, respectively. In terms of reversing the imbalance of "immune-inflammation-vascular axis", the main pharmacological effects of SJHXG were regulating the liver and promoting Qi, activating blood circulation and removing stasis. Mechanically, the key network targets of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm against OA, NP, CIP and MPS may play a therapeutic role in relieving hyperalgesia and paresthesia by reversing the "neuro-endocrine-immune" imbalance system during the occurrence and progression of diseases. In conclusion, our data indicate that Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm may relieve the pain and wind-cold-dampness arthralgia syndrome related symptoms by regulating the "neuro-endocrine-immune" system, neurological and endocrine disorders and reversing the imbalance of "immunity-inflammation". The relevant results may provide a network-based evidence for clinical positioning of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm, and offer a direction for further clinical and experimental validation.

Immunophenotypic and Clinical Characteristics of SET-CAN Fusion Gene Positive Acute Leukemia Patients / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the flow immunophenotype and clinical characteristics of leukemia patients with positive SET-CAN fusion gene.@*METHODS@#A total of 7 newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients with SET-CAN fusion gene admitted to Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from February 2016 to February 2020 were collected. Multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of SET-CAN fusion gene. The immunophenotype was detected by four-color flow cytometry. The case information of 17 literatures published at home and abroad was extracted for statistical analysis.@*RESULTS@#Among the 7 patients, 2 cases were diagnosed as mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL), 2 cases as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 3 cases as T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)/lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL). Leukemia cells in bone marrow specimens of all cases expressed or partially expressed CD34, CD33 and CD7. CD5 and cytoplasmic CD3 were expressed in 5 patients except 2 patients diagnosed with AML. Bone marrow and lymph node specimens were both detected in 2 patients, and the immunophenotypes of the two specimens were not completely consistent, with differences in lineage or maturity related markers. Two patients with MPAL showed differentiated response to treatment. One AML patient gave up treatment, and another AML patient with FLT3-ITD gene mutation had a poor prognosis. All three T-ALL/LBL patients maintained a long duration of remission after induced remission, and one case underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.@*CONCLUSIONS@#There are common characteristics of immunophenotype in patients with positive SET-CAN fusion gene. Differential expression of immunophenotype in samples from different parts is observed in some cases. The prognosis of these diseases varies.

Baimai Ointment relieves chronic pain induced by chronic compression of dorsal root ganglion in rats by regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and HIF-1 signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

The Baimai Ointment with the effect of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals demonstrates a definite effect on Baimai disease with pain, spasm, stiffness and other symptoms, while the pharmacodynamic characteristics and mechanism of this agent remain unclear. In this study, a rat model of chronic compression of L4 dorsal root ganglion(CCD) was established by lumbar disc herniation, and the efficacy and mechanism of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of CCD were preliminarily explored by behavioral tests, side effect evaluation, network analysis, antagonist and molecular biology verification. The pharmacodynamic experiment indicated that Baimai Ointment significantly improved the pain thresholds(mechanical pain, thermal pain, and cold pain) and gait behavior of CCD model rats without causing tolerance or obvious toxic and side effects. Baimai Ointment inhibited the second-phase nociceptive response of mice in the formalin test, increased the hot plate threshold of normal mice, and down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Network analysis showed that Baimai Ointment had synergistic effect in the treatment of CCD and was related to descending inhibition/facilitation system and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, behavioral tests, Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay revealed that the pain-relieving effect of Baimai Ointment on CCD may be related to the regulation of the interaction between neuroactive ligand and receptors(neuroligands) such as CHRNA7, ADRA2A, and ADRB2, and the down-regulation of the expression of NOS2/pERK/PI3K, the core regulatory element of HIF-1 signaling pathway in spinal microglia. The findings preliminarily reveal the mechanism of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of Baimai disease, providing a reference for the rational drug use and further research of this agent.

Epidemiological and genetic characteristics of sapovirus clusters in Changzhou schools from 2019 to 2022 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and genetic characteristics of sapovirus (SaV) in a cluster of schools in Changzhou, so as to provide a reference for the treatment of clustered vomiting and diarrhea events in schools.@*Methods@#The epidemiological data and laboratory test data of sapovirus clusters in Changzhou from 2019 to 2022 were collected and analyzed. Partial VP1 genes of SaV positive samples were amplified and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis.@*Results@#A total of 8 cases of clusters of SaV epidemics were reported in Changzhou City from 2019 to 2022, with 118 reported cases. The total attack rate was 1.47%, and the median of the attack number was 15. There were 6 outbreaks in kindergartens and 2 outbreaks in primary schools, which were reported in the epidemic period from September to December. The main clinical manifestations were vomiting (113 cases, 95.76 %), abdominal pain (39 cases, 33.05%), and diarrhea (16 cases, 13.56%). Among the 8 outbreaks, 17 sample strains were successfully sequenced. 5 outbreaks were GII.3 , and the other 3 outbreaks were GI.1, GI .3 and GII.2. GI and GII were the main genotypes in this area, and GII .3 was the predominant strain.@*Conclusion@#SaV is an important pathogen in the clusters of vomiting and diarrhea in schools after the transmission of norovirus. Continuous surveillance of SaV should be carried out to further understand its epidemiological characteristics and genotype distribution, so as to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of the epidemic in schools.

Exploring biological connotation of blood stasis syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis and establishment of improved animal models based on syndrome-symptom mapping / 药学学报

Blood stasis syndrome is one of the core clinical syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the biological connotation of this syndrome is not clear, and there is a lack of disease improved animal models that match the characteristics of this disease and syndrome. The aim of this study was to screen the candidate biomarker gene set of blood stasis syndrome of RA, reveal the biological connotation of this syndrome, and explore and evaluate the preparation method of the improved animal model based on the characteristics of "disease-syndrome-symptom". The study was approved by the ethics committee of Guang'anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 2019-073-KY-01) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. TYLL2021[K]018), and the study subjects gave their informed consent. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. IBTCMCACMS21-2207-01). The whole blood samples were collected clinically from RA patients with blood stasis syndrome (3 cases) or other syndromes (7 types, 3 cases/type), and healthy volunteers (4 cases), and then transcriptome sequencing, KEGG, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis were performed. 126 pivotal genes were screened, and their functional annotation results were significantly enriched in "immune-inflammation" related pathways and lipid metabolism regulation (sphingolipids, ether lipid metabolism and steroid biosynthesis). Syndrome-symptom mapping of hub gene set to the TCM primary and secondary symptoms, Western phenotypic symptoms and pathological links showed that joint tingling, abnormal joint morphology, petechiae and abnormal blood circulation are representative of blood stasis syndrome of RA. The results of the improved animal model showed that the rats in the collagen-induced arthritis + adrenaline hydrochloride (CIA+Adr) 3 model group had increased blood rheology, coagulation, platelet function and endothelial function abnormalities compared with the CIA-alone model group, suggesting that the rats with blood stasis syndrome of RA may be in a state of "blood stasis". The results of the study can help to advance the objective study of the evidence of blood stasis syndrome in RA, and provide new ideas for the establishment of an animal model that reflects the clinical characteristics of the disease and syndrome.

Investigation on the pharmacological mechanisms of Shirebi granules in treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome based on crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling / 药学学报

Gouty arthritis is a type of metabolic rheumatic disease caused by autoimmune abnormalities. Currently, the use of Western medicine in the clinical treatment of gouty arthritis has been associated with a high risk of adverse reactions. Therefore, there is a growing interest in exploring therapeutic drugs from traditional Chinese medicine as a potential alternative. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, gouty arthritis has been classified as damp-heat arthralgia syndrome. Shirebi granules has been found to have good clinical efficacy in treating gouty arthritis. However, its underlying pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. To address this problem, the study first established the interaction network of candidate targets for Shirebi granules, which is used to treat damp-heat syndrome of gouty arthritis. Then, the key candidate targets of Shirebi granules for treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome were screened by calculating the topological features of the network nodes. Then, the functional mining of the key candidate targets revealed that the candidate targets of Shirebi granules may intervene in the biological process of inflammatory response and lipid metabolism through the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. To verify the effectiveness of Shirebi granules in treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome, a rat model was established. The results demonstrated that the granules significantly improved the severity of arthritis in rats with this condition, reduced joint inflammation, gait score, swelling index, increased mechanical pain threshold (P < 0.05), and reduced the content of serum inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in gouty arthritis rats with damp-heat syndrome (P < 0.01) gouty. It was also found that Shirebi granules effectively alleviated the symptoms of dampness heat syndrome such as local joint fever and dry mouth by reducing the temperature of the joints in acute gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome (AD) rats, increasing the threshold of heat pain, increasing water intake (P < 0.01), and inhibiting abnormal changes in the content of fatty acid oxidation related enzymes (P < 0.01). Western blot analysis showed that Shirebi granules increased the protein expression levels of Wnt and β-catenin (P < 0.01) while decreasing the protein expression of p65, p-p65 and PPARγ (P < 0.01) in rats with gouty arthritis and damp-heat syndrome. The results showed that Shirebi granules may reverse the "inflammation-immune" imbalance and lipid metabolism disorder by regulating the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and play a role in alleviating the severity of the disease. This study provides a methodological reference for elucidating the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine formulas. It also presents research ideas for the appropriate clinical use of Chinese patent medicines and the development of new clinical drugs for gouty arthritis therapy. The animal welfare and experiment procedures of this study were performed in accordance with the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (grant No. ERCCACMS11-2302-08).

The level of regulatory T lymphocyte detected by flow cytometry in chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy and its clinical significance / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of changes in peripheral blood regulatory T lymphocyte (Treg) levels in patients with B-cell lymphoma who received chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy, and the relationship between Treg levels and optimal efficacy and treatment response.Methods:The data of 23 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies who received CD19/CD22 CAR-T cell immunotherapy in Wuhan Tongji Hospital from 2019 to 2021 were retrospectively studied. The enrolled patients were divided into complete remission (CR) group (8 cases), partial remission (PR) group (7 cases) and no response(NR) group (8 cases) according to Lugano′s revised lymphoma efficacy evaluation criteria. A total of 16 patients with B-cell lymphoma who did not receive CAR-T cell immunotherapy during the same period in Wuhan Tongji Hospital were collected as the control group.In different periods during CAR-T cell immunotherapy, multicolor flow cytometry(MFC) was used to dynamically detect peripheral blood the proportion of Treg in CD4 +T cells (Treg/CD4 +T), the proportion of lymphocytes (Treg/Lym), the proportion of Treg in white blood cells (Treg/WBC), and the absolute number of Treg (Treg#). The trend of Treg levels over time, as well as the differences in Treg levels in patients with different prognosis groups in different periods were analyzed.According to the proportion of Treg and the median level of absolute number within 1 to 15 days after CAR-T cell infusion, the patients were divided into a low-level group with 11 cases and a high-level group with 12 cases. The statistical differences in the peak value of CAR-T copy, iron protein, and IL-6 were compared between various groups. Independent samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Cox-Stuart trend existence test and one-way analysis of variance was used in statistical analysis. Results:In the 23 patients who received CAR-T cell immunotherapy, the mean values of Treg/CD4 +T and Treg/Lym before CAR-T cell infusion were (20.42±7.96)% and (13.61±7.13)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of the control group [(7.33±3.61)%, t=5.893, P<0.001; (1.91±0.90)%, t=6.53, P<0.001]. The number of Treg in the meantime was significantly lower [(1.81±1.52)/μl<(13.66±9.89)/μl, t=4.261, P<0.001]. After infusion, Treg/CD4 +T and Treg/Lym all remarkably decreased ( P<0.001),Treg/WBC increased significantly( P=0.01). The mean values of Treg/CD4 +T (12.87±1.93)%, Treg/Lym (6.35±2.84)%, and Treg/WBC (0.05±0.05)% in the patients with CR as the best response group were lower than those in the PR group [(29.68±5.49)%( P<0.01), (21.85±2.1)%( P<0.01), 0.50±0.69( P<0.05)] before CAR-T cell immunotherapy. Patients with lower mean Treg/CD4 +T within 1 to 15 days after reinfusion of CAR-T cells had higher peak CAR-T copy number ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Treg/CD4 +T and Treg/Lym were increased and then decreased during CAR-T treatment in B cell malignancies. The patients with lower proportions of Treg before infusion have favorable treatment efficacy. Besides, patients with lower Treg/CD4 +T after infusion have better CAR-T cell expansion. In the process of CAR-T cell immunotherapy, the use of MFC to dynamically monitor the proportion of Treg has certain clinical significance for the prediction of the optimal efficacy of immunotherapy and the prediction of treatment response.

Investigation on Compatibility Characteristics and Mechanism of Baimai Ointment in Intervening "White Vein" by Integrating Bioinformatics Analysis and Prescription Rule Discovery / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism and compatibility characteristics of Baimai ointment （BMO） in the treatment of white vein disease from the network perspective based on system theory， so as to provide biological basis for its clinical application. Method:The chemical components and the corresponding candidate target spectra of BMO were obtained from The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP）. According to the clinicopathological characteristics of white vein disease， focusing on four diseases/symptoms including neuropathic pain， inflammatory pain， chronic pain and lumbar disc herniation root neuralgia， the gene sets related to white vein disease were collected in Human Phenotype Ontology （HPO）， DisGeNET and other databases， then the interaction network of the targets of active components in BMO-gene sets related to white vein disease was constructed. On this basis， the hub network nodes were selected and enriched for exploring the mechanism of four functional groups of BMO in the treatment of white vein disease such as Huoxue Tongluo group （Curcumae Longae Rhizoma， Moschus， Tronae）， Xingqi Zhitong group （Myristicae Semen， Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma， Acori Calami Rhizoma）， Wenjing Sanhan Tongluo group （Zingiberis Rhizoma， Zanthoxyli Pericarpium， Caraway） and Jianpi Wenshen Qianggu group （Actinolite， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma）. Result:The enriched pathways of the four functional groups in BMO were mainly distributed in three modules of nervous system function， inflammation-immune system regulation and body energy metabolism， and each module was connected by common target genes especially had its own focus. Among them， the regulation of nervous system function in Huoxue Tongluo group and Xingqi Zhitong group could be summarized as Huoxue Buqi and Xingshen Kaiqiao. Xingqi Zhitong group and Jianpi Wenshen Qianggu group were mainly used to promote the operation of Qi， promote blood metaplasia， enhance immunity and maintain the regulation of inflammation-immune system. Jianpi Wenshen Qianggu group and Wenjing Sanhan Tongluo group mainly regulated body energy metabolism by invigorating the spleen and supplementing Qi as well as warm-heat medicine. The whole formula focused on the multi-dimensional and multi-level mechanism of BMO in the intervention of white vein disease. Each functional group emphasized its respective characteristics in nervous system function， inflammation-immune regulation， and body energy metabolism. Two types of networks analysis models complemented and verified each other. Conclusion:BMO plays a role in the treatment of white vein disease mainly by regulating the function of nervous system， maintaining the balance of inflammation-immune system and interfering with energy metabolism. The relevant research results can provide reference for the in-depth exploration of the mechanism of BMO， and help to guide the clinical rational use of this preparation.

Diagnosis of splenic marginal zone lymphoma / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore the clinical features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of splenic marginal zone lymphoma.Methods:The clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis processes of 3 cases of CD5 - CD10 - B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma with splenomegaly and cytopenia who were admitted to Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literature was reviewed. Results:The 3 cases were all elderly patients with varying degrees of splenomegaly and cytopenia. CD5 - CD10 - monoclonal B lymphocytes were found in the bone marrow or lymph nodes. Based on the patient's clinical characteristics, peripheral blood and bone marrow morphology, immunophenotype and genetic characteristics, 2 patients were diagnosed as splenic marginal zone lymphoma, and 1 patient was diagnosed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Conclusions:The diagnosis of splenic marginal zone lymphoma requires comprehensive analysis of clinical characteristics, peripheral blood and bone marrow morphology, immunophenotype and genetic characteristics. Careful differentiation from other CD5 - CD10 - small B-cell lymphomas is also needed. The next-generation gene mutation high-throughput sequencing and mutational spectrum analysis will help the accurate diagnosis of atypical and difficult cases.

Investigation on Anti-liver Cancer Potential and Compatibility Characteristics of Fufang Biejia Ruangan Pian from Network Perspective / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the anti-liver cancer potential of Fufang Biejia Ruangan Pian （FBRP） and its compatibility characteristics from a network perspective， so as to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical repositioning of FBRP. Method:Three self-pairs of cancer and para-cancerous tissue samples were collected from three patients with primary liver cancer， and the whole genome expression profiling chip was used to detect the differential genes related to the development and progression of liver cancer. After collecting the phenotype-related genes and the candidate targets of the corresponding prescriptions of FBRP from The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） V2.0， the "differentially expressed genes related to liver cancer development-candidate targets of FBRP efficacy substance group" interaction network was constructed according to the interaction information between the above-mentioned differentially expressed genes related to liver cancer and the candidate targets of the FBRP efficacy group， and then the major network nodes were screened. After that， the enrichment analysis of the pathway was performed in order to explore the biological basis of various pharmacological efficacy groups of FBRP， including Xiaozheng Sanjie group （Trionycis Carapax and Curcumae Rhizoma）， Buxue Huoxue group （Paeoniae Radix Rubra， Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma）， Yiqi Jianpi group （Codonopsis Radix and Astragali Radix）， Yuyin Yanggan group （Placenta Hominis and Cordyceps） and Qingre Jiedu group （Isatidis Radix and Forsythiae Fructus）. Result:The major network targets of the five efficacy groups may be involved into several common pathways but also associated with some special pathological processes. Those common pathways mainly contained the regulation of nervous system， the balance of immune-inflammatory system， the regulation of energy metabolism of various substances and cancer-related pathways， while the point was also reflected by the follows：①The regulating effects of Xiaozheng Sanjie group and Yiqi Jianpi group were summarized as promoting Qi circulation and relieving depression and replenishing Qi-blood， benefiting spirit. Buxue Huoxue group may also participate in the regulation of promoting Qi circulation and relieving depression and Yuyin Yanggan group may participate in the regulation of replenishing Qi-blood and benefiting spirit. ②The regulatory effects of the Xiaozheng Sanjie group and the Yuyin Yanggan group were summarized as essence， Qi and blood supplement. Buxue Huoxue group focused on the improvement of the immune-circulatory system. Qingre Jiedu group mainly regulated the balance of immune-inflammatory system by acting on T cell receptor signaling pathway. ③Yiqi Jianpi group was demonstrated to show the effects on various material and energy metabolisms. Yuyin Yanggan group exerted effects on lipid metabolism， carbohydrate metabolism， protein metabolism and hormone metabolism. Qingre Jiedu group was also involved into metabolism of nucleotide and hormone. ④In the aspect of alleviating the pathological changes of cancer， the regulatory effects of the five efficacy groups on cell cycle and other functions could be summarized as dispelling pathogenic factors. ⑤The whole prescription focused on the anti-liver cancer potential of FBRP as a whole， while each efficacy group emphasized that each efficacy group had its own functional characteristics. The two network analysis models complemented and verified each other. Conclusion:FBRP has the anti-hepatoma potential. By revealing the biological connotation of its efficacy and the rationality of the compatibility， the regulation mechanism of FBRP to correct the imbalance network of inflammation and cancer in liver is clarified， which can provide the possibility and biological basis for FBRP to increase the clinical indications for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Current research analysis and prospects on sensitization effect of artesunate on anti-cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy / 中国中药杂志

The wide application of artemisinins in the treatment of multiple cancers reflects the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine used in this field. The existing basic and clinical studies have revealed that artesunate can effectively suppress the malignant progression of breast cancer,colon cancer,leukemia,melanoma,ovarian cancer,prostate cancer,kidney cancer and various tumors in central nervous system. The pharmacological mechanisms of artesunate against cancers are reflected in many aspects,such as inhibiting tumor cell proliferation,invasion and metastasis,inducing tumor cell apoptosis and autophagy,regulating cell signal transduction and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Meanwhile,growing experimental evidences have indicated that artesunate has been used for the sensitization of radiotherapy with X-ray,β-ray,γ-ray and~(60)Co γ-ray,as well as chemotherapy with cisplatin,carboplatin and doxorubicin.This review collected basic and clinical studies on the sensitization effect of artesunate on anti-cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy published on PubMed and CNKI during April 2000 and February 2019,and summarized the clinical positioning and application of artesunate,with the aim to provide a more comprehensive explanation on the sensitization effect of artesunate on anti-cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy,and offer the inspiration and ideas for the development of radiotherapy and chemotherapy sensitizers,as well as cancer resistance reversal agents.

Identification of biomarkers to response of Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets acting on rheumatoid arthritis by integrating transcriptional data mining and biomolecular network analysis / 中国中药杂志

Growing clinical evidence shows that a partial rheumatoid arthritis( RA) patient treated with Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets( TGT) may fail to achieve clinical improvement. It is of great clinical significance to predict the therapeutic effect of TGT in RA. Therefore,the aim of the current study was to identify potential biomarkers for TGT treatment in RA. Affymetrix EG1.0 arrays were applied to detect gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 6 RA patients( 3 responders and 3 non-responders) treated with TGT. By integrating differential expression data analysis and biomolecular network analysis,360 mRNAs( 185 up-regulated and 175 down-regulated) and 24 miRNAs( 7 up-regulated and 17 down-regulated) which were differentially expressed between TGT responder and non-responder groups were identified. A total of 206 candidate target genes for the differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained based on miRanada and Target Scan databases,and then the miRNA target gene coexpression network and miRNA-mediated gene signal transduction network were constructed. Following the network analyses,three candidate miRNAs biomarkers( hsa-miR-4720-5 p,hsa-miR-374 b-5 p,hsa-miR-185-3 p) were identified as candidate biomarkers predicting individual response to TGT. Partialleast-squares( PLS) was applied to construct a model for predicting response to TGT based on the expression levels of the candidate gene biomarkers in RA patients. The five-fold cross-validation showed that the prediction accuracy( ACC) of this PLS-based model efficacy was 100.00%,100.00%,100.00%,66.67% and 66.67% respectively,and all the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve( AUC) were 1.00,indicating the highly predictive efficiency of this PLS-based model. In conclusion,the integrating transcription data mining and biomolecular network investigation show that hsa-mir-4720-5 p,hsa-mir-374 b-5 p and hsa-mir-185-3 p may be candidate biomarkers predicting individual response to TGT. In addition,the PLS model based on the expression levels of these candidate biomarkers may be helpful for the clinical screen of RA patients,which potentially benefit individualized therapy of RA in a daily clinical setting.

Investigation on the inflammation network mechanisms of Wutou decoction acting on neuropathic pain / 药学学报

Wu-tou decoction (WTD) was originally recorded in the synopsis of the golden chamber and it had been widely used for the treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) with exact therapeutic efficacy. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain unclarified. Thus, in this research, we aimed at clarifying the underlying molecular mechanisms of WTD against NP by combining network analysis and experimental validation based on the spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model. Firstly, the network analysis indicated that key targets of WTD were significantly involved in the MAPK signaling pathway (P = 4.04E-12) and four important components of the above pathway, AKT kinase (AKT), MAP kinase kinase 4 (MKK4), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and transcription factor AP-1 (JUN) had been reported to play a vital role in neuroinflammation during the disease process of NP. Then, experimental validation results proved that WTD markedly reduce the severity of mechanical allodynia (P<0.01) and cold hypersensitivity (P<0.05) of SNL rats. In addition, Western blot results provided evidence that the phosphorylated protein expression levels of AKT, MKK4, JNK and JUN in the superficial lamina of spinal cord of SNL rats were markedly increased (P<0.001), and WTD could improve the phosphorylated protein expression level of AKT (P<0.001) which was reported to be nerve protective and attenuate the phosphorylated protein expression levels of MKK4, JNK and JUN (P<0.01) which were closely involved into neuroinflammation. In conclusion, this study indicated that WTD might exert anti-hyperalgesia action through the inhibition of neuroinflammation mediated by AKT-MKK4-JNK-JUN which belong to the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings also provided scientific evidences that WTD might be a promising candidate for NP. Animal experiments in this study were approved by the Ethics Committee of Experimental Animals of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

An exploration into the therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of paeoniflorin in the treatment of adjuvant-induced arthritis rats by a network pharmacology-based research strategy / 药学学报

Paeoniflorin (PAE), the major active compounds of Chinese herbs Radix Paeoniae Alba andChinese patent drug "Total Glucosides of Paeony Capsules", which is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), exerted multi-pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, immune-regulatory, etc. However, its potential action mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we predicted the putative targets of Radix Paeoniae Alba and constructed an interaction network of putative targets of Radix Paeoniae Alba and known RA-related genes. A list of key putative targets was identified by calculating their topological features (degree, node betweenness and closeness) in the above pharmacological network. Importantly, pathway enrichment analysis revealed that these key putative targets were significantly enriched in several RA-related pathways, including cartilage damage-related IL1B-TNF-TLR2-JUN-MMP1-MMP3 signaling pathway. Further molecular docking simulation showed that PAE, the major active compounds of Radix Paeoniae Alba, has strong binding affinity with MMP1 and MMP3 proteins. Next, in vivo experiments based on the adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) animal models showed that PAE significantly alleviated the disease severity and the syndromes of severe redness or swelling in hind limbs of AIA rats, including decreasing the arthritis score, the diameter of the limbs, and elevating body weight and pain thresholds (all P<0.05). ELISA assay indicated that PAE obviously suppressed the abnormal up-regulation of serum inflammatory factors including IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17 and IFN-γ in AIA rats (all P<0.001). Western blot analysis found that PAE simultaneously modulated the abnormal up-regulation of MMP1 and MMP3 proteins in the ankle tissues of AIA rats (all P<0.001) (all procedures in the current study were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Center for Laboratory Animal Care, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences). In conclusion, PAE alleviated the cartilage damage and disease severity in the progressive process of RA via regulating the IL1B-TNF-TLR2-JUN-MMP1-MMP3 pathway. This study provided the theoretical basis of the PAE for its immune-regulatory effects, and as well provided references for the action mechanism study of extract compounds of Chinese herbs.

Effects of short-term closing live poultry markets in controlling the H7N9 avian influenza pollution / 中国人兽共患病学报

Short-term closing live poultry markets have been frequently adopted to control H7N9 epidemic.To evaluate the effect of short-term closing live poultry markets,we analyzed the data of environment surveillance of H7 by RT-PCR,and the human H7N9 cases in Zhongshan City from Feb 2014 to May 2017.RRx =The positive rate during the x-th week after closing / the positive rate of the week before closing days * 100％.Three rounds of short-term closing live poultry markets were administered.Round one:from Feb 10 to 23,2014,the neighboring cities didn't synchronize.The H7 positive rate increased since the trade recovered,and RR1 =0.40 (95％CI:0.28-0.59),RR3 =0.63 (95％CI:0.32-1.24),RR4 =0.83 (95％CI:0.48 -1.46).Two human cases were reported in May,2014.Round two:from Feb 19 to 28,2015,the neighboring cities synchronized as the province policy.The H7 positive rate maintained a level lower than 10％ since the trade recovered,and RR1 =0.15 (95％CI:0.07-0.34),RR2=0.21 (95％CI:0.10-0.41),RR3 =0.03 (95％CI:0.00-0.18),RR4 =0.10 (95％CI:0.04-0.27).No more human cases reported in that epidemic season.Round three:from Jan 8 to 21,2017,the neighboring cities didn't synchronize with Zhongshan City.The H7 positive rate had increased since the trade recovered,and RR1 =0.25 (95 ％ CI:0.09-0.68),RR3 =0.37 (95％CI:0.14-1.00),RR4 =1.07 (95％CI:0.54-2.11).Two human cases were reported in Feb,2017.Results indicated that,if the policy of closing live poultry markets was administered in single city,the environment pollution rate would rise shortly and the risk of human infection would increase once the trade recovered.However,if it was synchronously administered in all the cities in one region,the environment pollution rate could maintain at a low level and the risk of human infection would reduce enormously.

The Financing Difficulties and Coping Strategies for the Public Hospitals from the Perspective of Public Welfare / 中国卫生经济

The continued release of demand for medical services had stimulated the development of public hospitals.In the context of insufficient government financial subsidies and inadequate hospital funds,some public hospitals tended to seek market-oriented financing support,but the contradiction between the nonprofit nature of public hospitals and the profitability nature of capital made the process of public hospital financing into a dilemma.Through the analysis of the connotation of public welfare in public hospitals and cases of PPP projects,it found that nonprofit of public hospitals did not completely exclude the profitability of capital,the market competition mechanism that capital profit behavior relied on was a prerequisite for the realization of the public welfare nature of public hospitals.Taking the advantage of market-oriented financing methods on the basis of insisting on the public welfare of public hospitals,the following measures must be taken:firstly,adhere to the government's dominant position in the direction of public hospitals;secondly,while introducing capital,it needed to focus on the reform and innovation of operational mechanisms;thirdly,convert the dividends that belong to the government into continued investment in public hospitals to support the realization of public welfare;fourth,com bined with the local government financial resources based on differentiated financing model.

A comparative study on the mechanisms of two classical herbal formulae for rheumatoid arthritis applying cold and heat patterns based on target network / 药学学报

Wu-tou decoction (WTD) and Baihu-Guizhi decoction (BHGZD) as described in the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber have been used extensively for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with apparent therapeutic efficacy. However, characteristics of pharmacological effects and their underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated due to a lack of appropriate scientific methodology. In the current study, we performed an integrative approach applying gene expression profiling and network analysis to examine the therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of WTD and BHGZD based on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) animal model. Results demonstrated that both WTD and BHGZD could relieve the severity of arthritis in AIA rats, while the significant differences were observed in the changes of the withdrawal response scores and latency time of AIA rats treated with WTD and BHGZD. Mechanistically, our network pharmacology-based investigation demonstrated that the major candidate targets of WTD and BHGZD were significantly associated with several inflammation-immune regulatory pathways, such as Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway, antigen processing and presentation, Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity, as well as leukocyte transendothelial migration. In particular, the major candidate targets of WTD were also involved in the regulation of hormone and energy metabolism, which might be imbalanced during RA progression. In conclusion, the current study revealed differences and similarities regarding the effects and network regulatory mechanisms of WTD and BHGZD. These findings may present a scientific basis for elucidation of mechanisms by which WTD and BHGZD alleviates RA.

Terpenoids isolated from Viburnum ternatum / 中国中药杂志

Four iridoids (1-4), five iridoid glucosides (5-9), and three triterpenoids (10-12) were isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of 70% Me2CO extract of the aerial parts of Viburnum ternatum through various column chromatographies over silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and MCI. Their structures were elucidated as ternatumin A (1), 2,9-dioxatricyclo[4.3.1.03，7]decanes (2), 7,10,2'-triacetylsuspensolide F (3), 7,10,2',3'-tetraacetylsuspensolide F (4), viburtinoside IV (5), viburtinoside II (6), viburtinoside B (7), luzonoside A (8), luzonoside B (9), 2α,3β,24-trihydroxy-12-ursen-28-oic acid (10), 6-hydroxy-20(29)-lupen-3-one (11), and pomalic acid (12) based on the their chromatographic properties, chemical and physicochemical methods, and spectroscopic data. Compound 1 was a new compound and compounds 3-12 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Furthermore, we note here the first isolation of compound 2 as a new natural product.

The role of CD14+ HLA-DR-/low MDSC in aGVHD development after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective In order to evaluate the possible effects of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) on graft versus host disease (aGVHD) development and clinical outcomes,this study systematically detected the dynamic changes of MDSCs accumulation in patients during the first 100 days after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).Methods Peripheral blood was obtained from 30 patients and 10 healthy volunteers with heparin anticoagulant tubes for 6 mL.For patients,peripheral blood was collected during the first 100 days after allo-HSCT and MDSCs levels were detected by flow cytometry.For measuring the serum concentrations of IL-6,IL-10,IL-1β,TNF-α,Arg-1,HO-1 and iNOS,samples were analyzed using ELISA kits.Results Patients developing aGVHD were infused with significantly less number of MDSCs [(39.94 ± 8.383) 106/kg]than in those not developing aGVHD [(209.0 ± 57.68) 106/kg,P =0.002 6];Patients developing aGVHD Ⅰ-Ⅱ and patients without aGVHD received significantly greater number of MDSCs [(61.96 ± 13.67) 106/kg and (209.0 ± 57.68) 106/kg] than in those developing aGVHD Ⅲ-Ⅳ [(20.37 ±4.304) 106/kg,P =0.013 9].After allo-HSCT,the mean percentage of MDSCs increased markedly in patients developing aGVHD [(7.725 ± 1.460)％] as compared with those not developing aGVHD [(3.423± 1.044)％,P =0.021 3].The high MDSCs group (＞53.712 × 106/kg) showed more favorable clinical outcomes than in the low MDSCs group (≤53.712 × 106/kg).The 2-year overall survival rate as 100％ in high MDSCs group,and 50％ in low MDSCs group (P =0.001 3).The cumulative incidence of 2-year relapse was 6.250％ and 29.252％ in high MDSCs group and low MDSCs group respectively (P =0.112 3).The cumulative incidence of NRM was significantly lower in high MDSCs group (0％) than in low MDSCs group (49.519％,P=0.001 8).MDSCs frequencies significantly increased in patients developing aGVHD after allo-HSCT.After allo-HSCT,the concentrations of IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,Arg-1,iNOS and HO-1 were significantly elevated in patients developing aGVHD.Conclusion The number of MDSCs when engraftment may be used as a predictor for the development and severity of aGVHD.MDSCs might be considered as a potential new approach to regulate transplant rejection and achieve long-term survival.