ABSTRACT
ETHNIC PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: "Yin-Jing" medicine (YJM) has been widely used by both ancient and modern Chinese medicine practitioners during long-term clinical practice. However, it remains unclear how to best guide other medicines to the targeted organs in a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription. Here, in an attempt to explain the scientific connotation of the YJM property (YJMP) attributed to a basic TCM theory, Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) was chosen as a case study to reveal the mystery of YJMP theory. AIM OF THE STUDY: The main purpose of this study is to employ modern chemical and molecular biology methods to confirm the "Yin-Jing" effect of PG, and further clarify its material basis and related possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ammonia-induced lung injury rat model was utilized to determine the optimal dosage of traditional prescription Hui Yan Zhu Yu decoction (HYZYD) using Wright Giemsa staining, HE staining, Masson staining, and TUNEL analysis. With the same way, PG was confirmed to have potentiating therapeutic effect (PTE) by comparison with HYZYD and [HYZYD-PG]. TMT proteomics was used to reveal the "Yin-Jing" mechanism of action. Western blot assay (WB) was employed for verification of differentially expressed proteins. Additionally, four non-crossing fragmentations (Fr. A-D) were characterized by RPLC/SEC-ELSD and HILIC-ESI--Q-OT-IT-MS techniques. The PTE and guidance property assays were utilized to evaluate "Yin-Jing" functions by a compatible combination of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYA) using qPCR, FCM, WB, HPLC, high content cell imaging (HCI) and high-resolution live-cell imaging (HRLCI) techniques. RESULTS: The HYZYD-M (medium dose group) significantly improved the lung injury level in a pneumonia model of rats. PG enhanced the therapeutic effect of HYZYD ascribed to Yin-Jing PTE functions. TMT proteomics revealed a category of differentially expressed proteins ascribed to Golgi-ER between HYZYD and [HYZYD-PG]. Fr. C (i.e., saponins) and Fr. D (i.e., lipids) were determined as therapeutic fragmentations via the LPS-induced A549 cell injury model; however, Fr. B (fructooligosaccharides and small Mw fructans) had no therapeutic effect. Further compatibility PTE assays confirmed Fr. B significantly improved efficiency by a combination of HYA. The guidance assays showed Fr. B could significantly increase the uptake and distribution of HYA into lung cells and tissues. HCI assays showed that Fr. B increased uptake of HYA accompanied by significant activation of Golgi-ER. Unlike Fr. B, HRLCI showed that Fr. A, C and D were not only unobvious activations of Golgi-ER but also insignificant facilitation of colocalizations between HYA and Golgi-ER. CONCLUSIONS: Fr. B is believed to be a key YJMP material basis of PG attributed to Yin-Jing PTE with characteristic of lung-oriented guidance property, whereas another abound Fr. C was determined to have synergistic effects rather than Yin-Jing material basis.
Subject(s)
Lung Injury , Platycodon , Rats , Animals , Platycodon/chemistry , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , LungABSTRACT
In this study, we examined the vegetation and soil carbon density characteristics and carbon distribution differences of four typical grasslands in two climatic zones, including warm-tempe-rate tussock (WT), warm-temperate shrub tussock (WS), tropical tussock (TT), and tropical shrub tussock (TS) in Henan Province. The results showed that the average aboveground biomass of grasslands was significantly higher in Northwest Henan (327.4 g·m-2) than that in South Henan (221.4 g·m-2), whereas the average root biomass in Northwest Henan (1.58X103 g·m-2) was significantly lower than that in South Henan (1.94X103 g·m-2). The average aboveground carbon density of grasslands in Northwest and South Henan was 113.75 and 77.35 g C·m-2, respectively. The aboveground carbon density of WT in Northwest Henan was higher than that of WS, though not statistically significant. The living biomass carbon density of TT was significantly lower than that of other grasslands in Southwest Henan. The average underground carbon density of grasslands in Northwest and South Henan were 6.35X103 and 5.14X103 g C·m-2, respectively. In Northwest Henan, there was no difference between WT and WS for both the root and soil carbon density. In South Henan, the root carbon density of TS was significantly lower than other grasslands, while the soil carbon density of TT was significantly higher than other grasslands. The average carbon density of grassland ecosystem in Northwest and South Henan was 6.46X103 and 5.22X103 g C·m-2, respectively. Soil was the main contributor of ecosystem carbon storage and accounted for about 78%-90% of total grassland ecosystem carbon density. In addition, there were no significant differences in the ecosystem carbon density between WT and WS in Northwest Henan, while TT possessed significantly higher ecosystem carbon density (9.70X103 g C·m-2) compared with other grasslands in Southern Henan. Our results provide basic data for accurately calculating ecosystem carbon storage and assessing carbon sequestration potential of different grasslands in Henan Province.
