[Research progress in pathogenesis and traditional Chinese medicines treatment of ischemic stroke-related headache].

Headache is a common clinical complication of ischemic stroke. As a precursor of stroke, headache occurs repeatedly in the convalescent period of ischemic stroke, leading to secondary stroke and seriously hindering patients' rehabilitation. Currently, it is believed that the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke-related headache is associated with the abnormal release of vasoactive substances, high platelet aggregation, and stimulation of intracranial pain-sensitive structures. The active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) with the effects of activating blood to resolve stasis and clearing heat to release exterior can protect brain tissue and relieve headache by reducing the release of inflammatory cytokines, alleviating antioxidant stress, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and so on. This paper introduces the research progress in the potential mechanism and TCM treatment of ischemic stroke-related headache, aiming to provide reference for further research and drug development of this complication.

4D-DIA quantitative proteomics revealed the core mechanism of diabetic retinopathy after berberine treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the core mechanism of berberine (BBR) in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR), by using Four-dimensional independent data acquisition (4D-DIA) proteomics combined bioinformatics analysis with experimental validation. METHODS: DR injury model was established by injecting streptozotocin intraperitoneally. At 8 weeks after BBR administration, optical coherence tomography (OTC) photos and Hematoxylin-eosin staining from retina in each group were performed, then the retina was collected for 4D-DIA quantitative proteomics detection. Moreover, difference protein analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, as well as molecular docking was performed, respectively. In the part of experiment, Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescent staining was used to confirm the change and distribution of carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1), one of the most important molecules from quantitative PCR detection. Lastly, RNA knockdown was used to determine the crucial role of CA1 in retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPEs) administrated with berberine. RESULTS: OCT detection showed that the outer nucleus, inner layer and outer accessory layer of RPEs were thinned in DR group, compared with in sham one, while they were thickened after berberine administration, when compared with in DR group. 10 proteins were screened out by using proteomic analysis and Venny cross plot, in which, denn domain containing 1A (DENND1A) and UTP6 small subunit processome component (UTP6) was down-regulated, while ATPase copper transporting alpha (ATP7A), periplakin (PPL), osteoglycin (OGN), nse1 Homolog (NSMCE1), membrane metalloendopeptidase (MME), lim domain only 4 (LMO4), CA1 and fibronectin 1 (FN1) was up-regulated in DR group, and the BBR treatment can effectively reverse their expressions. PPI results showed that 10 proteins shared interactions with each other, but only ATP7A, FN1 and OGN exhibited directly associated with each other. Moreover, we enlarged the linked relation up to 15 genes in network, based on 10 proteins found from proteomics detection, so as to perform deep GO and KEGG analysis. As a result, the most important biological process is involving rRNA processing; the most important cell component is small subunit processor; the most important molecular function is Phospholipid binding; the KEGG pathway was Ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes. Moreover, molecular docking showed that LMO4, ATP7A, PPL, NSMCE1, MME, CA1 could form a stable molecular binding pattern with BBR. Of these, the mRNA expression of CA1, PPL and ATP7A and the protein level of CA1 was increased in DR, and decreased in BBR group. Lastly, CA1 RNA knockdown confirmed the crucial role of CA1 in RPE administered with BBR. CONCLUSION: The present findings confirmed the role of BBR in DR treatment and explained associated molecular network mechanism, in which, CA1 could be considered as a crucial candidate in the protection of RPEs with berberine treatment.

Pseudolaric acid B induces apoptosis associated with the mitochondrial and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways in triple­negative breast cancer.

Pseudolaric acid B (PAB), a diterpene acid isolated from the root bark of Pseudolarix kaempferi, has been shown to exert strong antitumor properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the proposed antitumor properties of PAB in the triple­negative breast cancer cells, MDA­MB­231. The cell processes evaluated included cell proliferation by Cell Counting Kit­8 assay, colony formation and EdU assay, apoptosis by Annexin V­FITC/PI apoptosis assay, cell migration by Transwell migration assay and invasion by Transwell invasion assay. PAB significantly inhibited the proliferation of MDA­MB­231 cells through a mechanism that was considered to be associated with cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. There was decreased protein expression levels of CDK1 and cyclin B1 and increased protein expression levels of p53 and p21. However, there were no well­defined inhibitory effects on the normal breast cell line MCF10A. PAB also triggered apoptosis in a concentration­dependent manner through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. It caused collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, accumulation of reactive oxygen species and release of cytochrome c, as well as upregulation of cleaved caspase­3, cleaved caspase­9, cleaved PARP and Bax, and downregulation of Bcl­2 and Bcl­xl. The migration and invasion ability of MDA­MB­231 cells were inhibited by decreasing the expression levels of the epithelial­mesenchymal transition­related markers N­cadherin and vimentin and increasing the expression of E­cadherin. Moreover, the expression levels of PI3K (p110ß), phosphorylated (p)­AKT (ser473) and p­mTOR (ser2448) were downregulated and LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, could interact additively with PAB to induce apoptosis of MDA­MB­231 cells. Overall, the present results demonstrated that PAB induced apoptosis via mitochondrial apoptosis and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in triple­negative breast cancer. It also inhibited cellular proliferation, migration and invasion, suggesting that PAB may be a useful phytomedicine for the treatment of triple­negative breast cancer.

Phytochemical consumption and the risk of teratozoospermia: findings from a hospital-based case-control study in China.

STUDY QUESTION: Are dietary phytochemicals associated with the risk of teratozoospermia? SUMMARY ANSWER: Dietary intake of carotene, including total carotene, α-carotene, ß-carotene as well as retinol equivalent, and lutein + zeaxanthin, were inversely correlated with the risk of teratozoospermia. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Phytochemicals are natural plant derived bioactive compounds, which have been reported to be potentially associated with male reproductive health. To date, no study has investigated the association between phytochemical intake and the risk of teratozoospermia. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION: This hospital-based case-control study, which included 146 newly diagnosed teratozoospermia cases and 581 controls with normozoospermia from infertile couples, was conducted in a hospital-based infertility clinic in China, from June 2020 to December 2020. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS: Dietary information was collected using a validated semi-quantitative 110-item food frequency questionnaire. Unconditional logistic regression was applied to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between phytochemical (i.e. phytosterol, carotene, flavonoid, isoflavone, anthocyanidin, lutein + zeaxanthin, and resveratrol) intake and the risk of teratozoospermia. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We observed a decreased risk of teratozoospermia for the highest compared with the lowest tertile consumption of total carotene (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.21-0.77), α-carotene (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30-0.93), ß-carotene (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.25-0.88), retinol equivalent (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24-0.90), and lutein + zeaxanthin (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.19-0.66), with all of the associations showing evident linear trends (all P trend <0.05). In addition, significant dose-response associations were observed between campestanol and α-carotene consumption and the risk of teratozoospermia. Moreover, there was a significant multiplicative interaction between BMI and lutein + zeaxanthin intake (P interaction <0.05). LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: The cases and controls were not a random sample of the entire target population, which could lead to admission rate bias. Nevertheless, the controls were enrolled from the same infertility clinic, which could reduce the bias caused by selection and increase the comparability. Furthermore, our study only included a Chinese population, therefore caution is required regarding generalization of our findings to other populations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Dietary phytochemicals, namely carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, might exert a positive effect on teratozoospermia. These phytochemicals are common in the daily diet and dietary supplements, and thus may provide a preventive intervention for teratozoospermia. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This study was funded by Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No. 2022-MS-219 to X.B.W.), Outstanding Scientific Fund of Shengjing Hospital (No. M1150 to Q.J.W.), Clinical Research Cultivation Project of Shengjing Hospital (No. M0071 to B.C.P.), and JieBangGuaShuai Project of Liaoning Province (No. 2021JH1/1040050 to Y.H.Z.). All authors declared that there was no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Analysis of etiological characteristics and establishment of prediction model of postoperative infections in patients undergoing oral squamous cell carcinoma surgery with free flap reconstruction / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the characteristics of pathogen infection and to establish a prediction model of infections in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction.@*METHODS@#The retrospective cohort study consisted of 1 596 patients undergoing tumor resection and free flap reconstruction for oral squamous cell carcinoma from January 2018 to December 2020. According to the postoperative infection, the patients were divided into the infected group (n=154) and non-infected group (n=1 442). The characteristics of pathogens were analyzed in the infected patients. The primary outcome variable was postoperative infection, and Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors of the infection. The prediction model was established and the discriminatory accuracy of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.@*RESULTS@#Totally 154 cases were infected in the 1 596 cases undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction, and the infection rate was 9.65%. The most frequent sites of infection were the surgical wound and respiratory tract. A total of 268 pathogens were isolated and cultured, including 240 strains of Gram-negative bacteria, accounting for 89.55%, mainly Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae; 23 strains of Gram-positive bacteria, accounting for 8.58%, mainly Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus; and 5 strains of fungi, accounting for 1.87%. The isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa had high resistant rate to imipenem and meropenem, and was sensitive to antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin. The isolated Staphylococcus aureus had high resistant rate to erythromycin and clindamycin, and was sensitive to vancomycin. According to the multivariate Logistic analysis, four independent variables were significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection (P < 0.05): clinical N category≥1, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade ≥2, tracheotomy and length of hospital stay >13 d. The prediction model was established based on these factors and the expression of the risk prediction model was as follows: predicted probability value P=1/(1+e-a), a=-0.803+0.674×(clinical N category ≥1)+0.518×(the ASA grade ≥2)+0.918×(tracheotomy)+1.581×(length of hospital stay >13 d), Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2=10.647, P=0.223, the degree of fitting of the model was good. The area under the ROC curve was 0.818 and 95%CI of the model for predicting infection was 0.789-0.846.@*CONCLUSION@#Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction are prone to have a high incidence of postoperative infection and Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing an infection. The established prediction model is of good predictive effect. Rational antimicrobial use coupled with awareness of infection control measures is paramount to reduce the incidence of postoperative infection in the oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery with free flap reconstruction.

[Strategies for efficacy and function positioning of new resources of Chinese materia medica].

Chinese materia medica( CMM) serves as an important cornerstone for the development of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) culture and industry due to its unique ecological,medical,economic,scientific and technological,and cultural values. The supply shortage and unstable quality of some CMM resources have hindered the development of TCM. Ensuring the sustainable use of CMM resources has become essential for the development of TCM in China. Enriching CMM resources is the key to ensuring the sustainable utilization of TCM resources in China,which can be achieved via expanding the medicinal parts,developing the substitutes,seeking for analogues,exploring the ethnic and folk medicines,or introducing foreign medicinal materials. CMM efficacy or function positioning plays a very important role in the transformation of new CMM resources. The strategies and methods for efficacy or function positioning of new CMM resources,including analogy,plant genetic relationship exploration,medicinal property deduction,ethnobotanical investigation,text mining,network pharmacology,and structure-activity relationship exploration,were systematically proposed in this study based on CMM theory,textual research,and modern methodologies. This paper is expected to provide a theoretical reference for the continuous enrichment and development of CMM resources and the high-quality development of TCM culture and industry.

The Role of Ophiopogonin D in Atherosclerosis: Impact on Lipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota.

Gut microbiota has been proven to play an important role in many metabolic diseases and cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis. Ophiopogonin D (OPD), one of the effective compounds in Ophiopogon japonicus, is considered beneficial to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we have illuminated the effect of OPD in ApoE knockout (ApoE[Formula: see text] mice on the development of atherosclerosis and gut microbiota. To investigate the potential ability of OPD to alleviate atherosclerosis, 24 eight-week-old male ApoE[Formula: see text] mice (C57BL/6 background) were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, and 8 male C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal diet, serving as the control group. ApoE[Formula: see text] mice were randomly divided into the model group, OPD group, and simvastatin group ([Formula: see text]= 8). After treatment for 12 consecutive weeks, the results showed that OPD treatment significantly decreased the plaque formation and levels of serum lipid compared with those in the model group. In addition, OPD improved oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance as well as reducing hepatocyte steatosis. Further analysis revealed that OPD might attenuate atherosclerosis through inhibiting mTOR phosphorylation and the consequent lipid metabolism signaling pathways mediated by SREBP1 and SCD1 in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, OPD treatment led to significant structural changes in gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in HFD-fed mice and reduced the relative abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae genera associated with cholesterol metabolism. Collectively, these findings illustrate that OPD could significantly protect against atherosclerosis, which might be associated with the moderation of lipid metabolism and alterations in gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolites.

Effect of nape cluster acupuncture on swallowing function and respiratory function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of nape cluster acupuncture on swallowing function and respiratory function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia, and to explore its relationship to cerebral arterial flow and neurotrophic factors.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 60 patients in each one. The conventional swallowing rehabilitation therapy and respiratory function training were adopted in the control group. On the basis of treatment in the control group, nape cluster acupuncture was applied at Fengchi (GB 20), Tianzhu (BL 10), Wangu (GB 12), Lianquan (CV 23), Panglianquan (Extra), once a day; pricking blood was applied at Jinjin (EX-HN 12) and Yuye (EX-HN 13), once every 2 days. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. The therapeutic efficacy was compared between the two groups, and the swallowing function (scores of Kubota water swallowing test, standardized swallowing assessment [SSA] and video fluoroscopic swallowing study [VFSS]), the respiratory function indexes (forced vital capacity [FVC], maximal voluntary ventilation [MVV] and maximal expiratory time), the bilateral cerebral arterial hemodynamics parameters (systolic peak velocity [Vs], mean flow velocity [Vm] and vascular resistance index [RI]) and the serology indexes (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], nerve growth factor [NGF] and insulin-like growth factors-1 [IGF-1]) before and after treatment were observed in the both groups.@*RESULTS@#The total effective rate was 80.0% (48/60) in the observation group, which was superior to 60.0% (36/60) in the control group (@*CONCLUSION@#On the basis of the conventional rehabilitation training, nape cluster acupuncture can effectively improve the swallowing function and respiratory function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia, its mechanism may be related to the improvement of cerebral hemodynamics and the regulation of neurotrophic factors.

Strategies for efficacy and function positioning of new resources of Chinese materia medica / 中国中药杂志

Chinese materia medica( CMM) serves as an important cornerstone for the development of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) culture and industry due to its unique ecological,medical,economic,scientific and technological,and cultural values. The supply shortage and unstable quality of some CMM resources have hindered the development of TCM. Ensuring the sustainable use of CMM resources has become essential for the development of TCM in China. Enriching CMM resources is the key to ensuring the sustainable utilization of TCM resources in China,which can be achieved via expanding the medicinal parts,developing the substitutes,seeking for analogues,exploring the ethnic and folk medicines,or introducing foreign medicinal materials. CMM efficacy or function positioning plays a very important role in the transformation of new CMM resources. The strategies and methods for efficacy or function positioning of new CMM resources,including analogy,plant genetic relationship exploration,medicinal property deduction,ethnobotanical investigation,text mining,network pharmacology,and structure-activity relationship exploration,were systematically proposed in this study based on CMM theory,textual research,and modern methodologies. This paper is expected to provide a theoretical reference for the continuous enrichment and development of CMM resources and the high-quality development of TCM culture and industry.

Analysis of prescription regularity of traditional Chinese medicine for colorectal cancer based on data mining / 中国中药杂志

The tumor prescriptions contained in Dictionary of Tumor Formulas, Compendium of Good Tumor Formulas, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Ministry of Health Drug Standards for Chinese Medicine Formulas and National Compilation of Standards for Proprietary Chinese Medicines were selected and organized to construct a database for tumor prescriptions, and the data mining techniques were applied to investigate the prescription regularity of colorectal cancer prescriptions. The formula data were extracted after screening in strict accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were then analyzed with Microsoft Excel 2010 for frequency statistics, Apriori block provided by SPSS Clementine 12.0 software for correlation rule analysis, and arules and arulesViz packages in R 4.0.2 software for correlation rule visualization. In addition, SPSS 18.0 software was used for cluster analysis and factor analysis, in which cluster analysis was performed by Ochiai algorithm with bicategorical variables in systematic clustering method and factor analysis was performed mainly with principal component analysis. A total of 285 prescriptions were included in the statistical analysis, and the frequency statistics showed that 43 herbs had been used more than 16 times. The association rules analysis showed that 26 high-frequency me-dicine pair rules were obtained, and the association rules for those dispelling evil spirits, strengthening the body, resolving stasis, dispelling dampness, etc. were visualized. In the cluster analysis, we generated a dendrogram from which 7 groups of traditional Chinese medicines with homogeneity were extracted. 10 common factors were obtained in the factor analysis. The types of herbal medicines involved in the colorectal cancer prescription included anti-cancer antidotes, strengthening and tonifying medicines, blood-regulating medicines, and expectorant medicines, corresponding to the treatment for eliminating evil spirits, strengthening, resolving stasis, and expectorating dampness. The prescriptions for anti-cancer detoxification were normally based on the pairs composed of Scutellaria barbata-Hedyotis diffusa and Sophora flavescens, Sargentodoxa cuneata, S. barbata, often combined with stasis relieving drug and dampness eliminating drug, reflecting the characteristics of treatment for both toxicity and stasis, dampness and toxicity simultaneously. The prescriptions for strengthening the righteousness and tonifying the deficiency were composed of Astragalus membranaceus and Atractylodes macrocephala mainly, exerting the effect of benefiting Qi, strengthening the spleen and drying dampness, tonifying kidney and essence, tonifying blood and invigorating blood. Meanwhile, anti-cancer detoxification medicines shall be reduced as much as possible. The compatibility of the medicines for the intestinal tract reflected the principle of using the right medicine for the right condition and eliminating evil spirits or strengthening the body, as appropriate.

Bayesian network Meta-analysis of Chinese medicine injections in treatment of chronic renal insufficiency / 中国中药杂志

In this study, Honghua Injection, Danshen Injection, Shenkang Injection, Shuxuetong Injection, Lulutong Injection, Shenxiong Glucose Injection and Chuanxiong Injection were compared for their clinical efficacy on chronic renal insufficiency by using the method of network Meta-analysis, with Western medicine as the common reference. The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Hong-hua Injection, Danshen Injection, Shenkang Injection, Shuxuetong Injection, Lulutong Injection, Shenxiong Glucose Injection and Chuanxiong Injection for the treatment of chronic renal insufficiency were obtained by computer-based retrieval. The literature quality was evaluated by using the method in Cochrane Reviewer's Handbook 5.1 after independent screening of the included literature by two reviewers. The RJAGS package and GEMTC package of RevMan 5.3, GEMTC software, R software were used for statistical analysis to compare and sort the different injections in terms of efficacy. A total of 6 197 patients with chronic renal failure were included in 79 RCTs, involving 8 treatment measures. The effective rates of conventional treatment combined with Shenxiong Injection(OR=3.55, 95%CI[1.98, 6.37], P<0.000 1), Honghua Injection(OR=3.77, 95%CI[2.45, 5.81], P<0.000 01), Shuxuetong Injection(OR=6.71, 95%CI[3.30, 13.65], P<0.000 01) and Shenkang Injection(OR=4.14, 95%CI[3.42, 5.03], P<0.000 01) were all better than that in control group, and the effective rate of Honghua Injection combined with conventional treatment(OR=3.89, 95%CI[1.73, 8.74], P=0.001) was better than that in Danshen Injection combined with conventional treatment, all with statistically significant differences. By comprehensive comparison, Shuxuetong Injection, Honghua Injection and Shenkang Injection combined with Western medicine had good clinical effect on the effective rate, serum creatinine reduction and urea nitrogen reduction in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. However, due to the relatively low quality of the included literature, the conclusion has yet to be verified clinically.

[Discovery and study on potential effect of herbal pair of Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis-Eucommiae Cortex on pregnancy hypertension based on network pharmacology and molecular docking].

This study aimed to explore the optimal indications and mechanism of Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis(UR)-Eucommiae Cortex(EC) in lowering blood pressure based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Chemical constituents were collected and screened by TCMSP database. Swiss Target Prediction platform was used to predict the related targets of the drug. OMIM, TCMIP and GeneCards databases were used to collect hypertension-related genes, and the intersections were taken to obtain potential targets for anti-hypertensive treatment of UR-EC. FunRich software was used to enrich the clinical phenotype and expression site of potential target of lowering blood pressure to analyze and predict the optimal indications of UR-EC. STRING database was used for KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct the network of "composition-target-pathway". The key targets and their corresponding components in the network were analyzed and obtained, and then molecular docking was applied for preliminary verification. Twenty potential active components of UR and 24 potential active components of EC were respectively collected, and 92 anti-hypertensive potential targets of UR-EC were obtained. According to FunRich enrichment results, the optimal indication of UR-EC was pregnancy hypertension, which involved calcium signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, renin vascular tightening, VEGF signaling pathway, etc. In addition, AKT1, NOS2, ADRB2, F2, NOS3, SCN5 A, HTR2 A and JAK2 were considered as the key targets in the network. The molecular docking results showed that the screened potential active components had high binding activity with the key targets. This study preliminarily revealed that UR-EC may have therapeutic effects on pregnancy hypertension in terms of sedation, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, improvement of vascular endothelial function and so on.

[Research progress on effective components of Chinese materia medica in regulating autophagy].

Autophagy is a highly conservative and multi-component activated energy metabolism and self-renewal mechanism, which plays a crucial regulatory role in maintaining the normal physiological state of cells and is involved in various pathological processes. In recent years, the mechanism study has made great progress in regulating autophagy with effective components of Chinese materia medica(CMM),which are reported to prevent and treat cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic and immune-related diseases. This review outlines the molecular regulation mechanisms of cell autophagy with CMM components in controlling the above-mentioned diseases. There are many relevant reports on the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy in tumor and cardiovascular cells with CMM monomers. The main chemical structural types are alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols, flavonoids and terpenes. And m-TOR pathway is the main mechanism relating to the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy with CMM. Therefore, the regulatory mec-hanisms of cell autophagy become a new research targeting strategy of therapies with CMM. This review provides evidences for the effectiveness and scientificity of CMM in regulating autophagy, in the expectation of providing references for the in-depth studies of CMM in the field of autophagy and the development of natural autophagy regulators.

Analysis of 16 618 Prescriptions of Chinese Patent Medicine Containing Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata Based on Three Data Mining Models / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::Through data mining analysis of Chinese patent medicine prescription containing Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (CPMCA) in a hospital, the characteristic rules of clinical medication of this kind of Chinese patent medicine were analyzed from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation and treatment, and the application prospect of data mining in TCM prescription analysis was explored. Method::CPMCA in the hospital outpatient clinics from November 2017 to October 2018 was conducted. The clinical application of this kind of Chinese patent medicine was retrospectively analyzed from the aspects of basic situation of patients, TCM diseases, TCM syndromes and so on. The clinical application of CPMCA was reviewed and analyzed. Three kinds of data mining algorithms in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 were used to analyze the characteristics of prescription medication. Result::A total of 8 kinds of Chinese patent medicines containing Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata were used in a hospital, and most of them were used by patients under 14 years old, among them, the dosage of Xiaoer Feike granules was the largest. The TCM diseases were mostly cough, cold and asthma, while the TCM syndromes were mostly cold-heat complicated syndrome, wind-phlegm syndrome and external contraction of wind evil. The CPMCA for nourishing and warming kidney-Yang included Jingui Shenqiwan, Longlu capsules, Wangbi capsules and Guifu Dihuang pills. The TCM diseases were mostly arthralgia syndrome, vertigo, and consumptive disease, meanwhile, the syndromes were mainly deficiency of liver and kidney, kidney deficiency and blood stasis, and deficiency of spleen and kidney. Decision tree analysis showed that the CPMCA had the characteristics of age distribution, among which TCM diseases and syndromes were the main decision points. According to the age, sex, diagnosis of Chinese and western medicine, and TCM syndromes of this type of prescription, the CPMCA were divided into 10 categories by cluster analysis. Correlation analysis showed that the combination of Xiaoer Feike granules was the most common, but the correlation was not high. And Jingui Shenqiwan, Qili Qiangxin capsules, Longlu capsules and Wangbi capsules had their own strong associated medication. Conclusion::The application of data mining algorithm in multi-factor analysis of clinical prescription is close to the clinical dialectical treatment thinking of TCM. Combined with the basic statistics, it can be seen that the CPMCA in a hospital is consistent with the characteristics of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment.

Review and thinking of fifth national clinical skill competition of acupuncture-moxibustion and / 中国针灸

Through the review and summary of the 5th national clinical skill competition of acupuncture-moxibustion and , it is recognized that the strict security of training, the concentrated training items, active competition of training and the diversity of training patterns are the keys of achievement. Besides, the suggestions are proposed in terms of manipulations and the recitation content of classic in competition. It hopes that the competition greatly play its role in promoting learning, teaching and education construction.

Discovery and study on potential effect of herbal pair of Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis-Eucommiae Cortex on pregnancy hypertension based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the optimal indications and mechanism of Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis(UR)-Eucommiae Cortex(EC) in lowering blood pressure based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Chemical constituents were collected and screened by TCMSP database. Swiss Target Prediction platform was used to predict the related targets of the drug. OMIM, TCMIP and GeneCards databases were used to collect hypertension-related genes, and the intersections were taken to obtain potential targets for anti-hypertensive treatment of UR-EC. FunRich software was used to enrich the clinical phenotype and expression site of potential target of lowering blood pressure to analyze and predict the optimal indications of UR-EC. STRING database was used for KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct the network of "composition-target-pathway". The key targets and their corresponding components in the network were analyzed and obtained, and then molecular docking was applied for preliminary verification. Twenty potential active components of UR and 24 potential active components of EC were respectively collected, and 92 anti-hypertensive potential targets of UR-EC were obtained. According to FunRich enrichment results, the optimal indication of UR-EC was pregnancy hypertension, which involved calcium signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, renin vascular tightening, VEGF signaling pathway, etc. In addition, AKT1, NOS2, ADRB2, F2, NOS3, SCN5 A, HTR2 A and JAK2 were considered as the key targets in the network. The molecular docking results showed that the screened potential active components had high binding activity with the key targets. This study preliminarily revealed that UR-EC may have therapeutic effects on pregnancy hypertension in terms of sedation, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, improvement of vascular endothelial function and so on.

Research progress on effective components of Chinese materia medica in regulating autophagy / 中国中药杂志

Autophagy is a highly conservative and multi-component activated energy metabolism and self-renewal mechanism, which plays a crucial regulatory role in maintaining the normal physiological state of cells and is involved in various pathological processes. In recent years, the mechanism study has made great progress in regulating autophagy with effective components of Chinese materia medica(CMM),which are reported to prevent and treat cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic and immune-related diseases. This review outlines the molecular regulation mechanisms of cell autophagy with CMM components in controlling the above-mentioned diseases. There are many relevant reports on the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy in tumor and cardiovascular cells with CMM monomers. The main chemical structural types are alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols, flavonoids and terpenes. And m-TOR pathway is the main mechanism relating to the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy with CMM. Therefore, the regulatory mec-hanisms of cell autophagy become a new research targeting strategy of therapies with CMM. This review provides evidences for the effectiveness and scientificity of CMM in regulating autophagy, in the expectation of providing references for the in-depth studies of CMM in the field of autophagy and the development of natural autophagy regulators.

Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides exerted protective effects on diabetic nephropathy in mice via regulation of autophagy.

The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides (CMP) on STZ-treated DN mice. CMP were identified by FT-IR and HPLC. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) was induced in male C57BL/6 mice by the injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg kg-1) in citrate buffer on 5 consecutive days. Administration of CMP at 200 and 400 mg kg-1 or irbesartan at 60 mg kg-1 in the STZ-treated mice could prevent the damage caused by STZ. CMP significantly reduced the STZ-induced higher expression of the kidney index, TC, TG, MDA, urinary protein, Scr, and BUN, while it markedly increased the STZ-induced decrease in GSH levels compared with the DN group. Histopathology analysis of the kidney by PAS, Masson, and HE staining confirmed the renal injury induced by STZ and the protective effects of CMP. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results confirmed the severe foot process effacement induced by STZ, but CMP treatment inhibited the podocytes' structure defects and ameliorated the function of podocytes. Desmin was measured by immunofluorescence and was related to podocyte injury. The results showed that CMP lessened the expression of desmin induced by STZ. CD68 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry analysis, and the expressions of IL-1ß, IL-6, and MCP-1 mRNA were measured by qRT-PCR. The results showed that CMP suppressed the expressions of CD68, IL-1ß, IL-6, and MCP-1 mRNA induced by STZ. The role of autophagy in the treatment of DN mice with CMP was detected by TEM and western blotting. The results showed that the administration of CMP was able to overcome the STZ-treated autophagy deficiency, significantly increase the rate of autophagy in the kidney, promote the expression of Atg5, beclin1 and LC3 protein, and reduce the expression of p62 protein. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that CMP exert a protective effect on DN in STZ-treated mice possibly via activation of autophagy.

Modulatory effect of International Standard Scalp Acupuncture on brain activation in the elderly as revealed by resting-state fMRI.

The specific mechanisms by which acupuncture affects the central nervous system are unclear. In the International Standard Scalp Acupuncture system, acupuncture needles are applied at the middle line of the vertex, anterior parietal-temporal oblique line, and the posterior parietal-temporal oblique line. We conducted a single-arm prospective clinical trial in which seven healthy elderly volunteers (three men and four women; 50-70 years old) received International Standard Scalp Acupuncture at MS5 (the mid-sagittal line between Baihui (DU20) and Qianding (DU21)), the left MS6 (line joining Sishencong (EX-HN1) and Xuanli (GB6)), and the left MS7 (line joining DU20 and Qubin (GB7)). After acupuncture, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated changes in the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity in various areas, showing remarkable enhancement of regional homogeneity in the bilateral anterior cingulate, left medial frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Functional connectivity based on a seed region at the right middle frontal gyrus (42, 51, 9) decreased at the bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus. Our data preliminarily indicates that the international standard scalp acupuncture in healthy elderly participants specifcally enhances the correlation between the brain regions involved in cognition and implementation of the brain network regulation system and the surrounding adjacent brain regions. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Union Hospital at Jilin University, China, on July 18, 2016 (approval No. 2016ks043).

Antinociceptive effects of Ginsenoside Rb1 in a rat model of cancer-induced bone pain.

Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) is a major ingredient of ginseng, a traditional medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Previous studies have reported that GRb1 had anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. The current study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive effects of GRb1 in a rat model of cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) established by intratibial injection of Walker 256 cells. Intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of GRb1 (5 and 10 mg/kg, but not 1 mg/kg) partially and transiently reversed the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in CIBP rats at 14 days following surgery when the pain behavior is established. Furthermore, repeated administration of GRb1 demonstrated persistent analgesic effect. Additionally, the protein expression and immunoreactivity of iba1, which is the maker of microglia, was significantly suppressed in CIBP rats treated with GRb1 (i.p., 10 mg/kg) from day 12 for three consecutive days compared with CIBP rats treated with a vehicle. Furthermore, upregulation of spinal interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were also significantly inhibited by the treatment of GRb1 (i.p., 10 mg/kg) from day 12 for three consecutive days. Together, these results indicated that GRb1 may attenuate CIBP via inhibiting the activation of microglia and glial-derived proinflammatory cytokines.