Elucidating the material basis and potential mechanisms of Daqinglong Decoction acting on influenza by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and network pharmacology.

Daqinglong Decoction (DQLD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription firstly recorded in Shang han lun (the treatise on febrile diseases), has been used hundreds of years for the clinical treatment of influenza. However, the chemical composition and therapeutic mechanism of this prescription are unclear. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS was employed to analyze the chemical compounds in both methanol and boiling water extracts of DQLD. The compounds were then screened, characterized, and filtered using the TCMSP, TCMIP, TCM-ID and SymMap database, with a focus on their oral bioavailability and drug-likeness values. The resulting data were analyzed and optimized using the R language platform, Autodock and Gromacs software to identify biological processes and pathways. A total of 121 compounds were identified, of which 5 showed good binding ability to influenza virus targets (1L1B, IL10, CASP3, STAT3, TNF, and others). The active ingredient-target-influenza virus pathway was constructed using a network drug target analysis model prediction of DQLD, which was mainly enriched in Human cytomegalovirus infection, PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, and other signaling pathways through 1L1B, IL10 and other targets. Those pathways highly correlated to the body's inflammatory response, improve immunity, and exert anti-influenza virus effects. In summary, this study demonstrated that DQLD's active ingredients can effectively bind to influenza virus targets and exert anti-influenza virus effects by reducing inflammation and improving immunity through Human cytomegalovirus infection, PI3K-Akt and HIF-1 signaling pathways. These findings offer important insights into the potential mechanisms of action of DQLD and its potential use as a TCM against influenza and other viral infections.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

ERα36 is involved in the proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects of icaritin on MG63 cells / 生理学报

The mechanism for icaritin to improve postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of estrogen receptor α36 (ERα36) in the proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects of icaritin on osteoblasts and the underlying mechanism of downstream signal transduction. The ERα36 knockdown human osteosarcoma MG63 cell model was constructed by transfection of shRNA vector. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8, the apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the activation of ERK and AKT signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the effects of icaritin on the proliferation and apoptosis of MG63 cells were significantly decreased after ERα36 knockdown, and icaritin could up-regulate the levels of ERK and AKT phosphorylation in MG63 cells, which could be reduced by ERα36 knockdown. The effect of icaritin on the proliferation of MG63 cells was significantly decreased by pretreating the cells with U0126 (an ERK signaling pathway blocker) and LY294002 (an AKT signaling pathway blocker), respectively. Furthermore, anti-apoptotic effect of icaritin on MG63 cells was significantly decreased after the cells were pretreated with U0126, but not with LY294002. These results suggest that icaritin exerts proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects on osteoblasts through ERα36 and its downstream ERK and AKT signaling pathways.

LIMR is involved in the inhibitory effect of antiflammin-1 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition in A549 cells / 生理学报

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurring in alveolar epithelial cells plays an important role in the development and progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Previous studies showed that antiflammin-1 (the active fragment of uteroglobin) effectively inhibited bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. However, its mechanism is still far from being clarified. In this study, we investigated the effects of antiflammin-1 on EMT in A549 cells induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and the underlying mechanism by using morphological observation and Western blot. The results showed that the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) increased significantly while the expression of E-cadherin decreased significantly in A549 cells following treatment with TGF-β1 concomitant with morphological change of A549 cells from pebble-like shape epithelial cells to spindle-like mesenchymal shape. This process of EMT in A549 cells induced by TGF-β1 was significantly inhibited when A549 cells were co-incubated with TGF-β1 and antiflammin-1. Furthermore, the anti-lipocalin interacting membrane receptor (LIMR) antibody and PD98059 (an ERK signaling pathway blocker) attenuated the inhibitory effect of antiflammin-1 on TGF-β1-induced EMT, respectively. Our findings indicate that antiflammin-1 can inhibit EMT in A549 cells induced by TGF-β1, which is related to LIMR and its downstream ERK signaling pathway.

Research on high-frequency ultrasonic tissue harmonic information extraction based on phase inversion technique / 中国医疗器械杂志

Based on the pulse-coded transmitting and wide-band receiving system, this paper describes A research of phase inversion technique to extract high-frequency ultrasonic tissue harmonic information by making use of wide-band ultrasonic transducer on frequency of 20 MHz, 35 MHz and 50 MHz. The results indicate that adopting the method in this paper is with better fundamental frequency inhibition and at the same time can increase the amplitude of second harmonic information effectively. This method is superior to that traditoncal one by using RF filter to extract tissue harmonic information.

Development of a transmitting and echo receiving system for high frequency ultrasonic imaging / 中国医疗器械杂志

A transmitting and receiving system used in high frequency ultrasound imaging is introduced and has been used for image collection of 10MHz, 20MHz and 50MHz HF ultrasonic imaging equipment. Its experimental results show that this transmitting and receiving system is capable of obtaining a better quality of medical images.

Biochemical markers of age-related changes in bones turnover and bone mineral density in healthy Chinese men / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the relationship between bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collegen(NTX) and bone mineral density in healthy men aged 20-80.@*METHODS@#BAP and NTX of 389 healthy men were measured by ELISA. BMD at the lumbar spine and the hip as measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The correlation of bone biochemical markers with age and BMD fit 10 regression models.@*RESULTS@#BAP and NTX negatively correlated with age. The cubic regression model was better with age-related changes of bone biochemical markers as compared with the other regression models and the coefficients of determination of fitting curve were 0.013-0.029 (P< 0.05). The value of bone biochemical markers as the highest during 20-29 age groups, then they decreased to a nadir level in the 50-59 years age. After 60 years, bone formation markers remained stable; however resorption marker increased slightly. After adjustment for age, weight, height, BMI, and smoking, bone biochemical markers were negatively correlated with most sites of BMD.@*CONCLUSION@#BAP and NTX may be relatively sensitive and specific markers to evaluate age-related changes of bone turnover. It may benefit the prevention of osteoporosis by monitoring the level of BAP and NTX.

Effect of bone morphogenetic protein-2 on the expression of membrane Type 1-matrix metalloproteinase in human A549 lung carcinoma cells / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2 ) on the expression of membrane Type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and the activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in human A549 lung carcinoma cells.@*METHODS@#Western blot was used to analyse the expression of MT1-MMP protein levels in A549 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay was used to show the actions of BMP-2 on the activation of MMP-2 in A549 cells.@*RESULTS@#Treatment with BMP-2 in A549 cells caused a dose- and time-dependent increase in the expression of MT1-MMP protein. BMP-2 dose-dependently activated MMP-2 in A549 cells.@*CONCLUSION@#BMP-2 might promote MT1-MMP expression and MMP-2 activation in lung carcinoma cells, which can lead to the increase of extracellular matrix followed by acceleration of tumor cell migration and invasion. It is probably another key mechanism of BMP-2 upregulated lung carcinoma cell migration.

Serum leptin with bone mineral density and body fat mass in males / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the relationship of serum leptin concentration and bone mineral density(BMD), body fat mass in males.@*METHODS@#Plasma concentrations of leptin in 350 Chinese males, aged 20 to 80 years were measured with ELISA; BMD values at lumbar spine, hip and total body BMD, and body composition, including lean tissue mass (LTM) and fat tissue mass (FTM), were measured using dual-energy-X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The relationship between changes in serum leptin concentration with age, body weight, body mass index, body fat mass, and BMD values at 5 skeletal sites was fit by 10 regression models, and the models giving the best fit were selected.@*RESULTS@#The S regression model best described the changes in serum leptin level with age (R(2)=0.104, P<0.009), while the compound regression model best described the changes in serum leptin concentration with BMI and weight (R(2)=0.296, P<0.001; R(2) =0.304, P<0.001). Leptin concentration was correlated with FTM (R(2)=0.448, P<0.001) and rate of body fat(R(2)=0.461, P<0.001). The serum leptin level was significantly correlated with BMD of multiple skeletal sites (R(2) was 0.115 for anterior spine BMD, 0.102 for lateral spine BMD,0.098 for femoral neck BMD, 0.112 for total hip BMD, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, leptin concentration was not a significant predictor of BMD at any site.@*CONCLUSION@#Serum leptin concentration correlates with body fat mass and percentage of body fat, but is not a significant predictor of BMD at any site in Chinese males.