Chemical fingerprint analysis and quality assessment of Tibetan medicine Triphala from different origins by high-performance liquid chromatography.

INTRODUCTION: Although the Tibetan medicine Triphala (THL) is widely used in many countries, insufficient progress has been made in quality control. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to propose a methodology for quality control of THL based on HPLC fingerprinting combined with an orthogonal array design. METHODS: Seven identified peaks were used as indicators to examine the effects of temperature, extraction time, and solid-liquid ratio on the dissolution of active ingredients in THL. Fingerprint analysis was performed on 20 batches of THL from four geographical areas (China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam). For further chemometric assessment, analysis techniques including similarity analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to classify the 20 batches of samples. RESULTS: Fingerprints were established and 19 common peaks were identified. The similarity of 20 batches of THL was more than 0.9 and the batches were divided into two clusters. Four differential components of THL were identified based on OPLS-DA, including chebulinic acid, chebulagic acid, and corilagin. The optimal extraction conditions were an extraction time of 30 min, a temperature of 90°C, and a solid-liquid ratio of 30 mL/g. CONCLUSION: HPLC fingerprinting combined with an orthogonal array design could be used for comprehensive evaluation and quality assessment of THL, providing a theoretical basis for further development and utilization of THL.

Analysis of the Mechanism of Maslinic Acid on Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Based on RNA-Seq Technology.

Objective: This study analyzed gene sequence changes in the thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) cell line TPC-1 treated with the natural compound maslinic acid (MA) through RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and identified the necessary genes to provide a basis for the study of the molecular mechanism of action of MA in PTC treatment. Methods: RNA-seq technology was used to detect genetic differences between the normal cell group (Nthy-ori 3-1) and the TPC-1 cell group (N vs T). Then, gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, Venn diagram analysis of shared genes, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were used to analyze the therapeutic effect of the MA on TPC-1 cells. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to verify six key genes. Results: GO and KEGG analyses showed that four crucial signaling pathways are related to TPC development: cytoplasmic molecule (cell adhesion molecules), neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, tumor transcriptional disorder, and cytokine-cytokine interaction. The Venn diagram revealed 434 genes were shared between the MA vs T-group and 387 genes were shared between the MATH vs T and N vs T groups. PPI and ClueGO showed that NLRP3, SERPINE1, CD74, EDN1, HMOX1, and CXCL1 genes were significantly associated with PTC, while CXCL1, HMOX1, and other factors were mainly involved in the cytokine-cytokine interaction. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of NLRP3, EDN1, HMOX1, and CXCL1 genes was significantly upregulated in the TPC-1 group but significantly downregulated after MA treatment (p < 0.01). SERPINE1 and CD74 genes were not expressed in TPC-1 cells, whereas they were significantly upregulated after MA treatment (p < 0.01). Conclusions: This present study proves for the first time that MA can treat PTC, and the preliminary identification of key genes and rich signal transduction pathways provides potential biomarkers. It also provides potential biomarkers for the treatment of PTC with the natural compound MA and preliminarily discusses the therapeutic mechanism of action of MA against PTC, which is helpful for the further diagnosis and treatment of PTC patients.

Space-time acupuncture for intractable cough after lupus nephropathy: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Some intractable chronic cough remains a common complaint for seeking medical care. Unexplained cough in lupus nephropathy patient is rare and therapeutic options are limited. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 57 year-old woman with a 7-year history of lupus nephropathy. She has suffered from chronic cough for 3 years accompanied with chronic low back pain and fatigue, as the conventional therapy cannot relieve the symptoms. DIAGNOSES: The woman is diagnosed as intractable cough after lupus nephropathy. INTERVENTIONS: 9 times space-time acupuncture (STA) treatment was performed. OUTCOMES: The cough, as well as other uncomfortable symptoms like chronic low-back pain and fatigue have resolved, and no relapse for one year follow-up. LESSONS: STA may be an effective therapy to treat intractable chronic cough.

Acupuncture for osteoporosis: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a global high prevalence of chronic metabolic disease with serious disability-adjusted life years losing. Acupuncture is used to treat osteoporosis broadly in China and other countries although the evidence on effectiveness cannot give a certain answer. The aim of this systematic review protocol is to appraise the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for osteoporosis. METHODS: A literature search of randomized controlled trials focusing on acupuncture for osteoporosis will be performed in the databases of Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBASE, Springer, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan fang, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and other possible resources with a valid search strategy. Outcomes of pain, bone mineral density, fracture, mortality, improvement proportion, biochemical indicators, quality of life, adverse event, and other valid will be extracted and merged for quantitative analysis using Review Manager software (V.5.3.5) or descriptive analysis correspondingly. DISCUSSION: This is the first systematic review to estimate the effect of acupuncture on osteoporosis, and the result may provide evidence to clinical doctor. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016037829.