ABSTRACT
Aromatic Chinese herbs has been used to prevent plague since ancient times, and traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of epidemic disease. Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rampant, and the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China issued guidelines which recommends integrated treatment plans of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. According to the traditional Chinese medicine treatment plan in the National COVID-19 Diagnosis and Treatment Plan (Trial Seventh Edition) of the National Health Commission, Chinese patent medicines or prescriptions containing more aromatic Chinese herbs are selected for prevention and treatment during the period of medical observation, clinical treatment and recovery of confirmed patients. Some local health committees or traditional Chinese medicine administrations also recommend a variety of other ways to use aromatic traditional Chinese herbs (external fumigation, moxibustion, wearing sachet, etc.) to prevent and cure COVID-19. The efficacy of "fragrance repels filth and reinforces vital qi" of aromatic Chinese herbs plays a positive role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. It has become a consensus to use aromatic Chinese herbs to interfere with the occurrence and development of COVID-19. The unique properties, chemical composition and action mechanism of aromatic Chinese herbs are worthy of extensive and in-depth experimental and clinical research, which can provide reference for the follow-up treatment of novel coronavirus and the development of corresponding drugs. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, this paper discusses the role of aromatic Chinese herbs in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, and speculates the possible mechanism of its function, in order to provide a basis for attaching importance to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Schisandra chinensis Turcz. (Baill.) is a plant species with fruits that have been well known in Far Eastern medicine for a long time. It has traditionally been used as a stimulating and fortifying agent in cases of physical exhaustion and to inhibit fatigue. The major bioactive compounds found in S. chinensis are lignans with a dibenzocyclooctadiene skeleton, but little is known about their biosynthesis in plants. S. chinensis is the ideal medicinal plant for studying the biosynthesis of lignans, especially the dibenzocyclooctadiene skeleton. Genomic information for this important herbal plant is unavailable. To better understand the lignan biosynthesis pathway, we generated transcriptome sequences from the fruit during ripening and performed de novo sequence assembly, yielding 136 843 unique transcripts with N50 of 1778 bp. Putative functions could be assigned to 41 824 transcripts (51.57%) based on BLAST searches against annotation databases including GO (Gene ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes). Furthermore, 22 candidate cytochrome P450 genes and 15 candidate dirigent proteins genes that were most likely involved in the lignan biosynthesis pathway were discovered based on transcriptome sequencing of S. chinensis. The genomic data obtained from S. chinensis, especially the identification of putative genes involved in the lignan biosynthesis pathway, will facilitate our understanding of lignan biosynthesis at the molecular level. The lignan metabolite profiles were analyzed by metabolomes, the accumulation patterns of 30 metabolites involved in the lignan pathway were studied. Co-expression network of lignan contents and transcriptional changes showed 355 strong correlations (correlation coefficient, R > 0.9) between 21 compounds and 153 transcripts. Furthermore, the comprehensive analysis and characterization of the genes involved in lignan pathways and the metabolite profiles of lignans are expected to provide better insight regarding the diversity of the chemical composition, synthetic characteristics, and regulatory mechanisms of this medical herb.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression status of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin motifs 5(ADAMTS5 )and its clinical significance in primary human gastric cancer(GC). Meth-ods ADAMTS5 protein expression in 176 GC tissues and 24 adjacent normal tissues was detected by immunohisto-chemistry(IHC),and its correlation to clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer was analyzed. Results ADAMTS5 expression was lower in GC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Moreover,low expression of ADAMTS5 was associated with gender,histologic type,degree of differentiation,M stage,TNM stage and vascular invasion,which was also an independent indicator for poor prognosis for GC pa-tients. Conclusions ADAMTS5 expression was lower in GC tissues,which was associated with clinicopathological features and prognosis,suggesting a novel potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target in GC.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of Linggui Zhugan Decoction (LZD) combined calorie restriction on fasting plasma glucose (FPG), the insulin resistance (IR), and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) of IR model rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 48 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the calorie restriction group, and the TCM + calorie restriction group, 12 in each group. Ordinary forage was given to those in the control group, and high fat diet was fed to those in the rest 3 groups for 12 weeks to establish the IR model. After successful modeling, rats in the control group and the model group were continually fed with the original farage for 4 days. The normal saline at the daily dose of 20 mL/kg was given to them by gastrogavage. The normal saline at the daily dose of 20 mL/kg was given to rats in the calorie restriction group by gastrogavage after 4-day calorie restriction. LZD at the daily dose of 20 mL/kg was given to rats in the TCM +calorie restriction group by gastrogavage after 4-day calorie restriction. The body weight, FPG, serum fasting insulin (FINS), insulin resistance index (IRI), and the protein expression of PPAR-y in the omental adipose tissue were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 4-day calorie restriction, the body weight obviously decreased in the calorie restriction group and the TCM +calorie restriction group, when compared with the model group (P <0.01). There was no statistical difference between the former two groups (P >0.05). The FINS and IRI obviously decreased in the calorie restriction group (P <0.01, P <0.05). The FPG, FINS, and IRI significantly decreased in the TCM + calorie restriction group (P <0. 05, P <0.01). The protein expression of PPAR-gamma obviously decreased in the calorie restriction group and the TCM + calorie restriction group (P <0.01).The phlegm dampness state was alleviated, with more significant effects shown in the TCM + calorie restriction group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LZD combined calorie restriction could reduce the body weight, FPG, and IRI of IR rats. Besides, it showed better effects than calorie restriction alone. Its effects in improving IR might be correlated with inhibiting the activities of PPAR-gamma. Meanwhile, it might play a role in inhibiting the differentiation of fat cells.</p>