Efficacy of Buzhong Yiqi decoction on benign prostatic hyperplasia and its possible mechanism.

OBJECTIVE: To explored the mechanism of Buzhong Yigi decoction ( BZYQD) in inhibiting prostatic cell proliferation effect. METHODS: The compounds of BZYQD consisted with eight herbs were searched in TCMSP databases and the putative targets of BZYQD were collected in Drugbank database. Then, "Benign prostatic hyperplasia" (BPH) was used to find the targets based on the GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) and Therapeutic Target Database (TTD) databases, and they were further used to collect further collect the intersection targets between BZYQD and BPH by counter-selection. Next, Herb-Compound-Target-Disease network was constructed by Cytoscape software and protein interaction network was built by Search tool for recurring instances of neighbouring genes (STRING) database. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were analyzed by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) database to predict the mechanism of the intersection targets. Mitogen activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and quercetin were chosen to perform molecular docking. Then 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was to detect the bility of BPH-1 (BPH epithelial cell line) by treated with quercetin at the concentrations of 15, 30, 60, 120 µM for 12, 24, 48, 72 h. The production of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1ß and were mRNA expression detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Western blot was used to detect the expression of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-P38) and matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9). RESULTS: A total 151 chemical ingredients of 8 herbs and 1756 targets in BZYQD, 105 common targets of BZYQD and BPH which mainly involving with MAPK8, IL-6, and so on. GO enrichment analysis got 352 GO entries (0.05) which included 208 entries of biological process, 64 entries of cell component and 80 entries of molecular function. KEGG pathway Enrichment analyses got 20 significant pathways which mainly involved with MAPK signaling way. MTT assay indicated quercetin inhibited the viability of BPH-1 cells by time-and dose-dependent manner. Quercetin decreased the IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1ß production and mRNA expression, and the expression of p-P38 and MMP-9 were also obviously reduced after treated with quercetin. CONCLUSIONS: BZYQD inhibited BPH through suppressing inflammatory response which might involving with regulating the MAPK signaling way.

[Summary on international quality standards of Bupleuri Radix].

Bupleuri Radix is a traditional staple Chinese medicinal material which has a wide range of medicinal values. However, with the increase of the international trade of Bupleuri Radix, its quality and safety issues have attracted much attention. Therefore, the establishment of international standards for Bupleuri Radix has important practical significance. In view of this, based on our foundation work on the standardization of Chinese medicine and international standards, this review systematically collates the quality standards of the major countries(regions) in which Bupleuri Radix is used, including the origin, macroscopic characteristics, microscopic characteristics, determination of marker compounds and extrinsic harmful contaminants. The existing problems and suggestions are also discussed in this review, which may provide reference for the study of the quality standard of Bupleuri Radix.

[Changes of microcirculation in healthy volunteers and patients with septic shock in Xining].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristic of microcirculation in healthy volunteers and patients with septic shock in both Xining (2 260 m) and Nanjing (10 m). METHODS: A total of 62 cases, 33 healthy volunteers, 22 cases in Xining, (2 260 m above sea level) and 11 cases in Nanjing (10 m above sea level); and 29 septic shock, 13 cases in Xining and 16 cases in Nanjing were collected. The total vessel density (TVD), perfused vessel density (PVD), proportion of perfused vessel (PPV) and microcirculation flow index (MFI) of both healthy volunteers and septic shock had been investigated by using sidestream dark field (SDF). Analyzed and managed the image data by using AVA3.0 software. RESULTS: In the healthy volunteers in Xining area (22 cases),the volume of TVD (15.59 ±2.58 mm/mm2), PVD (15.58 ±2.58 mm/mm2) and PPV(96.60% ±4.63%) were significant higher than the volume of TVD (10.0 ±2.10 mm/mm2), PVD (10.81 ±2.38 mm/mm2) and PPV (84.24% ±8.00%) of the volunteers (11 cases) in Nanjing (11 cases). But the MFI (2.17 ±0.31) of the healthy volunteers in the Xining was significant lower (P<0.05) than the MFI (3.21 ±0.34) in the healthy volunteers of Nanjing. In the septic shock group (13 cases) in the Xining, the volume of TVD (5.44 ±1.94 mm/mm2), PVD (4.18 ±1.61 mm/mm2), PPV (42.14%±5.38%) and MFI (1.05 ±0.32) compared with the volume of the healthy volunteers in Xining, the TVD (15.59 ±2.58 mm/mm2), PVD (5.58 ±2.58 mm/mm2), PPV (96.60% ±4.63%) and MFI (2.17 ±0.30) were significant lower (P<0.05). In the healthy volunteers compare with septic shock group in Nanjing area, the TVD(6.80±1.72 vs 10.00±2.10, P<0.05), PVD(5.86±1.58 vs10.81±2.38,P<0.05), PPV(45.42±4.86 vs 84.24±4.86, P<0.05), MFI(1.28±0.28 vs 3.21±0.34 P<0.05), there was significant decreased. In the septic shock group in the Xining compared with the septic shock in Nanjing, there was no significant difference. 10 of 13 patients with septic shock were survived in Xining. 13 of 16 patients with septic shock were survived in Nanjing. CONCLUSIONS: The changes of physiological and pathophysiological characteristic in microcirculation induced by hypoxia would be useful for clinical treatment of septic shock at high altitude.