Yin-chen Wu-ling powder alleviate cholestatic liver disease: Network pharmacological analysis and experimental validation.

BACKGROUND: Yin-chen Wu-ling Powder (YWP) has potential therapeutic effects on cholestatic liver disease (CLD), however, its active compounds and conceivable mechanism are as yet indistinct. METHODS: The network pharmacology and gene function annotation examined the multiple active ingredients, potential targets, and possible mechanisms of YWP in CLD treatment. Then the molecular docking reassured the reliability of the core compounds including the key genes and farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Finally, The Mdr2-/- mice were used to test the effect and mechanism of YWP against CLD. RESULTS: The network analysis identified nine main active ingredients, including quercetin, capillarisin, eupalitin, isorhamnetin, skrofulein, genkwanin, cerevisterol, gederagenin, and sitosterol. The PPI network predicted the ten hub genes involved were AKT1, MAPK1, MAPK14, IL6, RXRA, ESR1, IL10, NCOA1, CAV1, and EGFR. The KEGG and GO analysis showed that YWP might contribute to CLD treatment through the PI3K/Akt and MAKP signalings to manage pathological reactions, for instance, inflammatory responses. The molecular docking displayed a functional similarity among the core compounds with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and Obeticholic acid (OCA) on the effects on AKT1, MAPK1, MAPK14, RXRA, and ESR, and the affinity to FXR. In addition, the YWP could significantly attenuate hepatic injury and improve inflammatory response in Mdr2-/- mice. The mechanism exploration showed that YWP mainly decreased inflammatory response by inhibiting AKT/P38MAPK signaling. CONCLUSION: This study firstly revealed the multiple active ingredients, potential targets, and possible mechanism of YWP to treat CLD based on network pharmacology Analysis and molecular docking. YWP could alleviate cholestasis in Mdr2-/- mice by impairing inflammation via inhibiting AKT/P38MAPK Signaling.

Coexistence of SFO-1 and NDM-1 ß-lactamase genes and fosfomycin resistance gene fosA3 in an Escherichia coli clinical isolate.

This study aims to characterize antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial resistance genetic determinants of an Escherichia coli clinical isolate HD0149 from China in 2012. This strain displayed high-level resistance to cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides and fosfomycin. A range of antimicrobial resistance genes was detected responsible for its multiple antimicrobial resistances, involving the blaCMY-2, blaCTX-M-65, blaNDM-1, blaSFO-1, blaTEM-1, fosA3, rmtB, sul1 and sul2 genes. Four amino acid substitutions were detected in the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) of GyrA (S83L and D87N), ParC (S80I) and ParE (S458A). Conjugation experiments revealed two multiresistance plasmids present in E. coli HD0149. The blaSFO-1 gene associated with blaNDM-1 gene was located in a 190 kb IncA/C plasmid and the blaCTX-M-65, fosA3 and rmtB genes were located in a 110 kb IncF plasmid. This is the first identification of the blaSFO-1 gene in an E. coli isolate and on a conjugative IncA/C plasmid. This may dramatically enhance the international prevalence and dissemination of blaSFO-1 among Enterobacteriaceae.

A randomized controlled trial comparing total glucosides of paeony capsule and compound glycyrrhizin tablet for alopecia areata.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony capsule (TGPC) in patients with mild and moderate alopecia areata. METHODS: A total of 86 outpatients were randomly allocated into two groups of TGPC (treatment, 44 cases) and compound glycyrrhizin tablet (control, 42 cases). The treatment group was given oral TGPC, three times daily and 600 mg per time; the control group was given oral compound glycyrrhizin tablets, three times daily and 50 mg per time. In addition, both groups were given 10 mg of vitamin B(2) and tapped the bold patches with massage. The treatment course was three months for both groups. Peripheral blood T-cell subsets (CD3(+)CD4(+), CD3(+)CD8(+), Th, Ts, Th/Ts) of 10 patients randomly selected from each group respectively were tested before and after three months of treatment. The effectiveness and adverse reaction of all cases were observed each month. The safety was evaluated according to the incidence rate of adverse reaction. RESULTS: In the treatment group, the cured and markedly effective rate was 36.36% (16/44), 50.00% (22/44) and 68.18% (30/44) at the end of first, second and third month of treatment, respectively, and the incidence rate of adverse reaction was 13.64% (6/44). In the control group, the cured and markedly effective rate was 38.10% (16/42), 57.14% (24/42) and 71.43% (30/42), respectively, and the incidence rate of adverse reaction was 16.67% (7/42). The cured and markedly effective rate and the incidence rate of adverse reaction were similar in both groups (P>0.05). TGPC and compound glycyrrhizin tablet can inhibit CD3(+)CD4(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+), and decrease the ratio of Th/Ts (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TGPC is effective and safe in the treatment of alopecia areata.

[Effects of Ag nanocrystals on electroluminescence in Si oxide films].

Ag nanocrystal-embedded silicon oxide (SiO2 : Ag) films with varying Ag fractions were prepared on p-Si substrate by magnetron co-sputtering and thermal annealing. Visible electroluminescence (EL) was observed from the structures of ITO/SiO2 : Ag/p-Si. The authors found that Ag nanocrystals in the SiO2 film can not only shift the EL peak evidently but also enhance the EL intensity markedly. The larger the Ag fractions in the EL structures, the longer the peak wavelengths. The electromagnetic interactions of the Ag nanocrystals with the emitters in the film via local surface plasmons are considered responsible for these experimental results.

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule in treating psoriasis of blood-heat syndrome type.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical curative effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule in treating psoriasis of blood-heat syndrome (P-BH). METHODS: Eighty patients of P-BH were randomly assigned to two groups, 39 in Group A and 41 in Group B. Both was treated with Chinese herbal medicines for clearing heat, cooling blood and removing toxic substance, and acitretin capsule was given to Group A additionally, with 8 weeks as one therapeutic course. The clinical curative effect was compared between groups, and the change of psoriasis activity severe index (PASI) scores before and after treatment was observed. RESULTS: The total effective rate in Group A was 84.2% and that in Group B 68.2%, also showing significance between groups (P<0.01). PASI score lowered significantly after treatment in both groups, showing statistical significance (P<0.01), but no significant difference between groups. Little adverse reaction was found in Group B, while in Group A, the adverse reaction was of even milder degree, which could be alleviated by adjusting the herbal medicine and symptomatic treatment administration. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule was superior to Chinese herbal medicine alone in treating P-BH, but the adverse reaction of acitretin capsule could be alleviated by adjusting the herbs used. However, the result is waiting to be verified further by larger samples.

From trifluoroacetate complex precursors to monodisperse rare-earth fluoride and oxyfluoride nanocrystals with diverse shapes through controlled fluorination in solution phase.

We report the first systematic synthesis of monodisperse rare-earth (RE=La to Lu, Y) fluoride and oxyfluoride nanocrystals with diverse shapes (trigonal REF3 triangular, truncated-triangular, hexagonal, and polygonal nanoplates; orthorhombic REF3 quadrilateral and zigzag-shaped nanoplates; cubic REOF nanopolyhedra and nanorods) from single-source precursors (SSP) of [RE(CF(3)COO)(3)] through controlled fluorination in oleic acid (OA)/oleylamine (OM)/1-octadecene (ODE). To selectively obtain REF3 or REOF nanocrystals, the fluorination of the RE-O bond to the RE-F bond at the nucleation stage was controlled by finely tuning the ratio of OA/ODE or OA/OM, and the reaction temperature. For phase-pure REF3 or REOF naocrystals, their shape-selective syntheses could be realized by further modifying the reaction conditions. The two-dimensional growth of the REF3 nanoplates and the one-dimensional growth of the REOF nanorods were likely due to the selective adsorption of the capping ligands on specific crystal planes of the nanocrystals. Those well-shaped nanocrystals with diverse geometric symmetries (such as D(3h), D(6h), C(2h), O(h), and D(nh)) displayed a remarkable capability to form self-assembled superlattices. By manipulating the solvent-substrate combination, the plate-shaped REF3 nanocrystals could form highly ordered nanoarrays by means of either the face-to-face formation or the edge-to-edge formation. By using this SSP strategy, we also obtained high-quality LaF3:Eu and LaF3:Eu/LaF3 triangular nanoplates that showed photoluminescent red emissions of Eu3+ ions sensitive to the surface effect.

High-quality sodium rare-earth fluoride nanocrystals: controlled synthesis and optical properties.

We report a general synthesis of high-quality cubic (alpha-phase) and hexagonal (beta-phase) NaREF4 (RE: Pr to Lu, Y) nanocrystals (nanopolyhedra, nanorods, nanoplates, and nanospheres) and NaYF(4):Yb,Er/Tm nanocrystals (nanopolyhedra and nanoplates) via the co-thermolysis of Na(CF3COO) and RE(CF3COO)3 in oleic acid/oleylamine/1-octadecene. By tuning the ratio of Na/RE, solvent composition, reaction temperature and time, we can manipulate phase, shape, and size of the nanocrystals. On the basis of its alpha --> beta phase transition behavior, along the rare-earth series, NaREF4 can be divided into three groups (I: Pr and Nd; II: Sm to Tb; III: Dy to Lu, Y). The whole controlled-synthesis mechanism can be explained from the point of view of free energy. Photoluminescent measurements indicate that the value of I610/I590 and the overall emission intensity of the NaEuF4 nanocrystals are highly correlative with the symmetries of the Eu3+ ions in both the lattice and the surface.

Self-organized monolayer of nanosized ceria colloids stabilized by poly(vinylpyrrolidone).

Four nanometer colloidal ceria nanocrystals in a fluorite cubic structure have been synthesized via an alcohothermal treatment at 180 degrees C for 24 h from Ce(NO(3))(3)*6H(2)O in ethanol, using various alkylamines including triethylamine, butylamine, and hexadecylamine as the bases and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as the stabilizer. They were characterized by multiple measurements of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The introduction of PVP could effectively stabilize the cerium nuclei against self-aggregation and finally lead to the formation of the CeO(2) colloids. As compared with that of their precipitated counterparts, the UV-vis spectra showed a blue-shifted absorption edge for the as-obtained colloidal nanocrystals, revealing that their surfaces were well-passivated by PVP. Four types of self-organized monolayer patterns (i.e., isolated particles, short chainlike (pseudo-1-D aggregated), pearl necklace-like (1-D aggregated), and dendritic (pseudo-2-D aggregated) alignments) appeared for the as-obtained colloidal particles on the copper TEM grids, due to the delicate balance of the attractive and repulsive forces between the PVP-passivated CeO(2) nanocrystals during the irreversible evaporation of the solvent from various colloidal solutions under ambient conditions. The type of alkylamine and the concentration of PVP were confirmed to be the crucial factors determining the oriented-aggregation dimensionality of the CeO(2) colloids. Possible interparticle interaction modes have been suggested to explain such complex self-organization patterns exhibited by the as-obtained CeO(2) nanocrystals.

Hierarchical assembly of SnO2 nanorod arrays on alpha-Fe2O3 nanotubes: a case of interfacial lattice compatibility.

SnO2 nanorod arrays were hierarchically assembled onto the surface of alpha-Fe2O3 nanotubes via a facile solution method. Determined by the hexagonal geometrical nature of the alpha-Fe2O3 nanotubes, the heterostructures were of 6-fold symmetry. HRTEM characterizations demonstrated that the lattice mismatch at the interface was an important factor in determining the growth direction of the secondary nanorod arrays.

Single-crystalline and monodisperse LaF3 triangular nanoplates from a single-source precursor.

Single-crystalline and monodisperse LaF3 triangular nanoplates (2.0 x 16.0 nm) in trigonal tysonite structure were synthesized by the thermolysis of a single-source precursor (SSP), La(CF3COO)3, in a hot oleic acid/octadecene solution. The combined use of SSP and coordinating and noncoordinating solvents was demonstrated to have played key roles in the formation of such high-quality nanoplates, which could spontaneously organize into two types of superlattices (edge-to-edge and face-to-face) on a large area. This SSP approach has advantages of one-step, mass production, and easy operation, and may represent a rather general route toward metal fluoride nanocrystals.

Selective synthesis of monazite- and zircon-type LaVO(4) nanocrystals.

Pure monoclinic (m-) and tetragonal phased (t-) LaVO(4) nanocrystals could be obtained by a hydrothermal method in a controllable way with additives. It is found that chelating ligands, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid [EDTA or H(4)L, where L(4-) = (CH(2)COO)(2)N(CH(2))(2)N(CH(2)COO)(2)(4-)], favor the formation of t-LaVO(4) and can induce the polymorph transformation from stable m-LaVO(4) to metastable t-LaVO(4). Further studies demonstrated the important roles of chelating ligands in this transformation process. Careful investigation over the phase transition from t- to m-LaVO(4) was also conducted with high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) studies. The phase transition occurred at 850 degrees C, which is about 250 degrees C higher than for the bulk. The enhanced thermal stability of the nanosized metastable t-LaVO(4) may come from the small size effect. Our capability of obtaining and stabilizing t-LaVO(4) not only benefits the wider applications based on LaVO(4) due to the improved luminescent and catalytic performance but also provides a new idea in the studies of polymorph control and selective synthesis of inorganic materials.

Systematic synthesis and characterization of single-crystal lanthanide orthophosphate nanowires.

A simple hydrothermal method has been developed for the systematic synthesis of lanthanide orthophosphate crystals with different crystalline phases and morphologies. It has been shown that pure LnPO(4) compounds change structure with decreasing Ln ionic radius: i.e., the orthophosphates from Ho to Lu as well as Y exist only in the tetragonal zircon (xenotime) structure, while the orthophosphates from La to Dy exist in the hexagonal structure under hydrothermal treatment. The obtained hexagonal structured lanthanide orthophosphate LnPO(4) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, and Dy) products have a wirelike morphology. In contrast, tetragonal LnPO(4) (Ln = Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y) samples prepared under the same experimental conditions consist of nanoparticles. The obtained hexagonal LnPO(4) (Ln = La --> Tb) can convert to the monoclinic monazite structured products, and their morphologies remained the same after calcination at 900 degrees C in air (Hexagonal DyPO(4) is an exceptional case, it transformed to tetragonal DyPO(4) by calcination), while the tetragonal structure for (Ho--> Lu, Y)PO(4) remains unchanged by calcination. The resulting LnPO(4) (Ln = La --> Dy) products consist almost entirely of nanowires/nanorods with diameters of 5-120 nm and lengths ranging from several hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers. Europium doped LaPO(4) nanowires were also prepared, and their photoluminescent properties were reported. The optical absorption spectrum of CePO(4) nanowires was measured and showed some differences from that of bulk CePO(4) materials. The possible growth mechanism of lanthanide phosphate nanowires was explored in detail. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, infrared absorption spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical absorption spectra, and photoluminescence spectra have been employed to characterize these materials.

A simple method to synthesize Dy(OH)(3) and Dy(2)O(3) nanotubes.

Here we report the first synthesis of Dy(OH)(3) nanotubes by facile hydrothermal treatment of bulky Dy(2)O(3) crystals. Dy(OH)(3) nanotubes were calcined to produce Dy(2)O(3) nanotubes. Ho(OH)(3) and Ho(2)O(3) nanotubes were also obtained by the same method. The growth of nanotubes occurred through a dissolution-recrystallization process.