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Aim To explore the main pathways and possible mechanisms of saffron in treatment of depression using network pharmacology. Methods A network of active components of saffron-depression disease target was constructed through the TCM System Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), Genecards, Uniprot database, Cytoscape software, and ClueGo analysis tool, and GO biological process and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed, and molecular docking verification was carried out using Autodock vina software. Results The five main chemical components quercetin, kaempferol, crocealdehyde, crocetin, and isorhamnetin may pass through the IL-17 signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway and Toll-like inflammatory pathways such as receptor signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, relaxin signaling pathway, Thl7 cell differentiation and other pathways, playing an antidepressant effect. In the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway, the targets of saffron for depression were mainly enriched in multiple targets such as BD-NF, TNF, IL-1, IL-6, MAPK8, JUN, GSK3B, N0S3 and so on. The results of molecular docking verification indicated a good docking effect of saffron and crocetin with the BDNF target in the antidepressant pathway of saffron. Conclusions The mechanism of saffron treatment of depression is mainly reflected in the regulation of neurotrophic factors, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxida-tive stress, etc., providing a theoretical basis for clinical application.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect and safety of Kuanxiong Aerosol (, KA) on patients with angina pectoris.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Block randomization was performed to randomly allocate 750 patients into KA (376 cases) and control groups (374 cases). During an angina attack, the KA group received 3 consecutive sublingual sprays of KA (0.6 mL per spray). The control group received 1 sublingual nitroglycerin tablet (NT, 0.5 mg/tablet). Log-rank tests and Kaplan-Meier estimations were used to estimate the angina remission rates at 6 time-points after treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and >5 min). Logistic regression analysis was performed to observe the factors inflfluencing the rate of effective angina remission, and the remission rates and incidences of adverse reactions were compared for different Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) classes of angina.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 5-min remission rates in the KA and control groups were not signifificantly different (94.41% vs. 90.64%, P>0.05). The angina CCS class signifificantly inflfluenced the rate of remission (95% confidence interval = 0.483-0.740, P<0.01). In the CCS subgroup analysis, the 3-and 5-min remission rates for KA and NT were similar in the CCSII and III subgroups (P>0.05), while they were signifificantly better for KA in the CCSI and II subgroups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was signifificantly lower in the KA group than in the control group for the CCSII and III subgroups (9.29% vs. 26.22%, 10.13% vs. 20.88%, P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>KA is not inferior to NT in the remission of angina. Furthermore, in CCSII and III patients, KA is superior to NT, with a lower incidence of adverse reactions. (Registration No. ChiCTRIPR-15007204).</p>
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Aerosols , Therapeutic Uses , Angina Pectoris , Drug Therapy , Case-Control Studies , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Therapeutic Uses , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Logistic Models , Remission Induction , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prognosis effect of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) for benefiting qi and activating blood circulation adjunctive to conventional treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 702 patients with ACS who underwent PCI were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive conventional treatment plus CHMs for benefiting qi and activating blood circulation (treatment group, 351 cases) or conventional treatment alone (control group, 351 cases) for 6 months. Six months later, all patients received conventional treatment alone. Follow-ups were scheduled at 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th month after enrollment in April 2008, and the final follow-up visit was during September 2011 and November 2011. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or revascularization (PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting); and the secondary endpoint was the composite of re-admission for ACS, congestive heart failure, nonfatal stroke or other thrombus events.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 621 (88.59%) patients completed 35.4±3.8 months follow-up, while 80 (11.41%) patients withdrew from the trial (41 in the treatment group and 39 in the control group). The incidence of primary endpoint was 5.7% (20 patients) in the treatment group versus 10.86% (38 patients) in the control group [relative risk (RR): 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.30, 0.88; P=0.013; absolute risk reduction (ARR):-0.052, 95% CI: -0.06, 0.01]. The incidence of secondary endpoint was 5.98% (21 patients) in the treatment group versus 10.28% (36 patients) in control group (RR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.97, P=0.037; ARR: -0.043, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.01). Most of the primary and secondary endpoints were occurred in 18 months (84.50% in the treatment group versus 78.10% in the control group).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CHMs for benefiting qi and activating blood circulation adjunctive to conventional treatment improved clinical outcomes for patients with ACS after PCI in long-term follow-up.</p>
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical effects of Chinese medicine (CM) on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with a prospective cohort study.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 334 AMI patients from January 2007 to March 2009 were consecutively enrolled, and were assigned to a treatment group (169 cases) treated with combined therapy (CM for at least one month and Western medicine) and a control group (165 cases) with Western medicine alone. Clinical data including age, gender, smoking, medical history, infarction area, heart functional classification, CM syndrome scores, blood-stasis syndrome score, primary end-point (death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and revascularization) and secondary end-point (ischemic stroke, rehospitalization due to angina, heart failure and shock), were collected. CM syndrome scores, blood-stasis syndrome score, primary end-point and secondary end-point were collected during the 6-month follow-up. Kaplan-Meier method was used for the survival analysis. The multifactor analysis was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the end of 6-month the CM syndrome score and bloodstasis syndrome score in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01), especially the symptoms of chest pain, spontaneous perspiration and insomnia. Rehospitalization rate due to angina during the 6-month follow-up in the treatment group (2.96%) was lower than that in the control group (7.88%, P<0.05). Kaplan- Meier survival curve showed that event-free cumulated survival of rehospitalization due to angina during the 6-month follow-up in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group (Log rank 4.700, P=0.03). Cox regression analysis showed that heart dysfunction [hazard ratio (HR)=1.601, 95% CI=1.084-2.364, P=0.018] and diabetes mellitus (HR=1.755, 95% CI=1.031-2.989, P=0.038) were hazard factors to end-point, whereas CM (HR 0.405, 95% CI=0.231-0.712, P=0.002), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, HR=0.352, 95% CI=0.204-0.607, P<0.001) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (HR=0.541, 95% CI=0.313-0.936, P=0.028) were protective factors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CM therapy could decrease CM syndrome scores and blood-stasis syndrome score, reduce the rehospitalization rate during 6-month follow-up due to angina. Heart dysfunction and diabetes mellitus were hazard factors to end-point, whereas CM, PCI and ACE inhibitors were protective factors.</p>