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To explore the mechanism of the active ingredients of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills in inhibiting the hepatorenal toxicity of the zogta component based on serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology, thereby providing references for the clinical safety application of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills. The small molecular compounds in the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills of mice were identified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS). Then, by comprehensively using Traditional Chinese Medicines Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP), High-throughput Experiment-and Reference-guided Database(HERB), PubChem, GeneCards, SuperPred, and other databases, the active compounds in the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills were retrieved and their action targets were predicted. The predicted targets were compared with the targets of liver and kidney injury related to mercury toxicity retrieved from the database, and the action targets of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills to inhibit the potential mercury toxicity of zogta were screened out. Cytoscape was used to construct the active ingredient in Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills-containing serum-action target network, and STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of intersection targets. The Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses were carried out on the target genes by the DAVID database. The active ingredient-target-pathway network was constructed, and the key ingredients and targets were screened out for molecular docking verification. The results showed that 44 active compounds were identified from the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills, including 13 possible prototype drug ingredients, and 70 potential targets for mercury toxicity in liver and kidney were identified. Through PPI network topology analysis, 12 key target genes(HSP90AA1, MAPK3, STAT3, EGFR, MAPK1, APP, MMP9, NOS3, PRKCA, TLR4, PTGS2, and PARP1) and 6 subnetworks were obtained. Through GO and KEGG analysis of 4 subnetworks containing key target genes, the interaction network diagram of active ingredient-action target-key pathway was constructed and verified by molecular docking. It was found that taurodeoxycholic acid, N-acetyl-L-leucine, D-pantothenic acid hemicalcium, and other active ingredients may regulate biological functions and pathways related to metabolism, immunity, inflammation, and oxidative stress by acting on major targets such as MAPK1, STAT3, and TLR4, so as to inhibit the potential mercury toxicity of zogta in Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills. In conclusion, the active ingredients of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills may have a certain detoxification effect, thus inhibiting the potential mercury toxicity of zogta and playing a role of reducing toxicity and enhancing effect.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Medicine, Tibetan Traditional , Network Pharmacology , Molecular Docking Simulation , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Toll-Like Receptor 4 , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Mercury , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicityABSTRACT
Momordica charantia has been a traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and food since ancient times. The discussions on its nature， taste and efficacy in ancient books of TCM are almost the same. With a high nutritional value， M. charantia is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals， and has been widely used in the production of a wide range of dietary supplements and functional foods. At the same time， M. charantia is one of the most deeply studied natural medicines in traditional alternative medicine， with a wide range of pharmacological effects， especially in the treatment of metabolic diseases. Clinical trials have confirmed that M. charantia has a hypoglycemic effect， and could reduce blood lipids and weight loss， so as to improve metabolism in a comprehensive manner. According to the study on the mechanism of M. charantia in the treatment of diabetes， M. charantia could reduce blood sugar by improving islet β-cell function， improving insulin resistance， inhibiting intestinal glucose absorption and resisting inflammation and oxidative stress. However， at present， there is a lack of unified standards for the hypoglycemic effects and various mechanisms of action of M. charantia， and the safety has not been fully confirmed. Further studies shall be conducted to investigate the hypoglycemic effect and mechanisms of M. charantia， explore active components of M. charantia， define the pharmacodynamics material basis， extract monomer compounds with a clear structure and confirm its effectiveness and safety， which is helpful to develop and utilize the homologous value of medicine and food of M. charantia and further apply it in clinic. The application of the hypoglycemic effect of M. charantia in clinic has important economic benefits and a social significance.
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This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of Erxian Decoction(EXD) against neurogenesis impairment in late-onset depression(LOD) rats based on cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) proteomics. A total of 66 20-21-month-old male Wistar rats were randomized into naturally aged(AGED) group, LOD group, and EXD group. All rats received chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) for 6 weeks for LOD modeling except for the AGED group. During the modeling, EXD group was given EXD(ig, twice a day at 4 g·kg~(-1)) and other groups received equivalent amount of normal saline(ig). After modeling, a series of behavioral tests, such as sucrose preference test(SPT), open-field test(OFT), forced swimming test(FST), and Morris water maze test(MWMT) were performed. Immunofluorescence method was used to detect the number of Ki-67/Nesti-positive cells and BrdU/DCX-positive cells in the hippocampal DG area of each group. High-concentration corticosterone(CORT) was combined with D-galactose(D-gal) to simulate the changes of LOD-related stress and aging and the proliferation and differentiation of primary neural stem cells of hippocampus in each group were observed. Data independent acquisition(DIA)-mass spectrometry(MS) was used to analyze the differential proteins in CSF among groups and bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the biological functions of the proteins. Behavioral tests showed that sucrose consumption in SPT, total traveling distance in OFT, and times of crossing the platform in MWMT were all reduced(P<0.01) and the immobility time in FST was prolonged(P<0.01) in the LOD group compared with those in the AGED group, suggesting that LOD rats had developed depression symptoms such as anhedonia, decreased locomotor activity ability, and cognitive dysfunction. Behavioral abnormalities were alleviated(P<0.01, P<0.05) in the EXD group as compared with those in the LOD group. Immunofluorescence results demonstrated that Ki-67/Nesti-positive cells and BrdU/DCX-positive cells in the hippocampal DG area were fewer(P<0.05) in LOD group than in the AGED group, and the positive cells in the EXD group were more(P<0.05) than those in the LOD group. In vitro experiment showed that the proliferation and differentiation of primary hippocampal neural stem cells under the CORT+D-gal treatment were reduced(P<0.01). The proliferation rate of neural stem cells decreased(P<0.05) in CORT+D-gal+LOD-CSF group but increased(P<0.01) in CORT+D-gal+EXD-CSF group compared with that in the CORT+D-gal group. A total of 2 620 proteins were identified from rat CSF, with 135 differential proteins between the LOD group and AGED group and 176 between EXD group and LOD group. GDF11, NrCAM, NTRK2, and GhR were related to neurogenesis and 39 differential proteins were regulated by both LOD and EXD. EXD demonstrated obvious anti-LOD effect, as it improved the locomotor activity ability and cognitive function of LOD rats and protected the proliferation and differentiation of hippocampal neural stem cells. EXD exerts anti-LOD effect by regulating the proteins related to neurogenesis in CSF, such as GDF11, NrCAM, NTRK2, and GhR and maintaining hippocampal neurogenesis.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Depression/drug therapy , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Growth Differentiation Factors , Hippocampus , Neurogenesis , Proteomics , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
PURPOSE@#Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant global mental health concern, especially in the military. This study aims to estimate the efficacy of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of military-related PTSD, by synthesizing evidences from randomized controlled trials.@*METHODS@#Five electronic databases (Pubmed, EBSCO Medline, Embase, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library) were searched for randomized controlled trials focusing on the treatment effect of mindfulness meditation on military-related PTSD. The selection of eligible studies was based on identical inclusion and exclusion criteria. Information about study characteristics, participant characteristics, intervention details, PTSD outcomes, as well as potential adverse effects was extracted from the included studies. Risk of bias of all the included studies was critically assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. R Statistical software was performed for data analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 1902 records were initially identified and screened. After duplicates removal and title & abstract review, finally, 19 articles in English language with 1326 participants were included through strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results revealed that mindfulness meditation had a significantly larger effect on alleviating military-related PTSD symptoms compared with control conditions, such as treatment as usual, present-centered group therapy and PTSD health education (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.33; 95% CI [-0.45, -0.21]; p < 0.0001). Mindfulness interventions with different control conditions (active or non-active control, SMD = -0.33, 95% CI [-0.46, -0.19]; SMD = -0.49, 95% CI [-0.88, -0.10], respectively), formats of delivery (group-based or individual-based, SMD = -0.30, 95% CI [-0.42, -0.17], SMD = -0.49, 95% CI [-0.90, -0.08], respectively) and intervention durations (short-term or standard duration, SMD = -0.27, 95% CI [-0.46, -0.08], SMD = -0.40, 95% CI [-0.58, -0.21], respectively) were equally effective in improving military-related PTSD symptoms.@*CONCLUSION@#Findings from this meta-analysis consolidate the efficacy and feasibility of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of military-related PTSD. Further evidence with higher quality and more rigorous design is needed in the future.
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Tibetan medicine Edgeworthia gardneri is the flower bud of Edgeworthia gardneri, mainly distributed in the eastern Tibet as well as the northwest and west parts of Yunnan. It is called one of the " Eighteen treasures of Qinghai-Tibet" and has been used in many Tibetan secret recipes for a long time. Nowadays, the local people often drink E. gardneri Meisn tea for blood glucose regulation and health care. In this study, the related papers were searched in CNKI, Wanfang, Weipu, PubMed and other databases by using the keywords " Lv luo hua" and " flower of E. gardneri Meisn" . Then the status quo of the flower of E. gardneri was summarized from three aspects: provenance, chemical compositions and extraction method, as well as efficacy and function. It is found that E. gardneri mainly contains coumarins, flavonoids, polysaccharides and polyphenols. The extraction methods of E. gardneri include ultrasonic extraction, microwave extraction, supercritical CO2 extraction, and bio-enzyme-assisted extraction method, et al. The extraction of flavonoids and polyphenols is more common. In terms of medicinal efficacy, it has many medicinal effects such as regulating blood sugar, lowering blood fat, anti-oxidation, enhancing immunity and anti-tumor. The flower of E. gardneri has broad pharmacological effect, attracting more and more scholars to research it. However, studies on its medicinal effectiveness both at home and abroad are mainly focusing on it' s crude extractions or extracts, with no in-depth studies on action mechanism. This review aims to summarize the provenance, main chemical compositions and extraction methods, efficacy and effect of the flower of E. gardneri, especially focusing on the research on the medicinal efficacy and mechanism of the flower of E. gardneri, and provide a reference for the further research of the flower of E. gardneri.
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In recent years, as the level of economic life has improved, the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus has increased year by year. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been a serious threat to maternal and newborn health. The pathogenesis of gestational diabetes is not very clear, and may be closely associated with insulin resistance, genetic susceptibility, inflammatory response, metabolic disorders. According to the gestational diabetes diagnostic standard,24-28 weeks pregnant women keep an empty stomach over 8 h, taken 75 g oral glucose directly, and then receive the oral glucose tolerance test. GDM is diagnosed as fasting blood-glucose> 5.1 mmol · L-1,1-hour postprandial blood glucose>10.0 mmol · L-1,and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose>8.5 mmol · L-1. Western medicine treatment is mainly based on diet, exercise, drugs, education, monitoring and insulin therapy according to blood glucose. Meanwhile, GDM is a type of diabetes in traditional Chinese medicine. GDM is prevented and treated with diets and traditional method sports and Chinese herbs. Therefore, integrated Chinese and western medicine therapy can maximize the curative effect, reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus, and effectively improve the adverse outcome and prognosis of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus from mother to child.
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This study aims to observe the protective effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on liver and lung in rats with septic shock and reveal its mechanism. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and CLP with ginsenoside Rb1. Then, the survival rate, arterial blood pressure, TLR4 mRNA, and TNF-α levels were determined. The liver and lung tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE). The overall survival rate of the Rb1 group was significantly higher than that of the CLP group. Mean arterial blood pressure went down in both the CLP and Rb1 groups after CLP, and there was a significant difference both in the sham and Rb1 groups when compared with the CLP group. The Rb1 treatment group had markedly lower TLR4 mRNA expression and TNF-α levels than the CLP group. In the CLP group, pathology showed swelling, degeneration, necrosis, and neutrophil infiltration in the liver and alveolar epithelial cells. However, in the Rb1 group, there was mild degeneration and slight neutrophil infiltration, but no obvious necrosis. Rb1 may improve the survival rate, ameliorate arterial blood pressure, and protect the liver and lung in septic shock rats by downregulating the expression of TLR4 mRNA and inhibiting the production of TNF-α.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Ginsenosides , Pharmacology , Therapeutic Uses , Hepatic Insufficiency , Lung Injury , Myocardium , Metabolism , Panax , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts , Pharmacology , Therapeutic Uses , Random Allocation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Sepsis , Drug Therapy , Toll-Like Receptor 4 , Metabolism , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , BloodABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish fingerprint analysis method by HPLC for the quality control of Cichorium intybus and effective identification of C. intybus and C. glandulosum.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The software "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of TCMs" (Version 2004A) was employed to generate the mean chromatogram and carry out the similarity analysis of the samples. Cluster analysis was adopted in combination with principal component analysis to study seventeen chicory's characteristic common peaks and to differentiate the two chicory resources.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The fingerprint of C. intybus and C. glandulosum has been set up, and the range of similarity for seventeen chicory samples was 0. 847-0. 988. The difference among chromatographic fingerprints of chicory samples between the two different varieties was identified by cluster analysis and principal component analysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method can be used to evaluate the quality of C. intybus and identify C. intybus and C. glandulosum conveniently.</p>
Subject(s)
Cichorium intybus , Chemistry , Chromatography, High Pressure LiquidABSTRACT
Treating diabetes mellitus (DM) with Chinese medicine (CM) has had a few thousands years of history. Past Chinese medical texts had already recorded numerous medicinal herbs as well as recipes for treating DM and accumulated much clinical experience. In the following article, the prevention of DM using CM in the past 5 years is retrospectively studied, and mainly focuses on the usage of simple Chinese herbal extracts or monomers in terms of cellular as well as molecular biology.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biomedical Research , Diabetes Mellitus , Drug Therapy , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Pharmacology , Therapeutic Uses , Gardenia , Chemistry , Ginkgo biloba , Chemistry , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Panax , Chemistry , Research Report , Rheum , Chemistry , Signal TransductionABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effective Chinese medicine treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-five CFS patients meeting the inclusive criteria were enrolled from March 2007 to April 2008 and randomized into two groups. The 40 patients in the treated group were orally treated with Lixu Jieyu Recipe (LJR, consisted of milkvetch root 30 g, kudzuvine root 30 g, asiabell root 15 g, red sage root 10 g, aizoon stonecrop 15 g, epimeddium herb 10 g, curcuma root 10 g, and grassleaved sweetflag rhizome 10 g, made into 200 mL of decoction), for 100 mL twice a day. The 35 patients in the control group were treated with vitamin B tablets (10 mg twice a day), adenosine triphsphate (ATP, 20 mg, thrice a day) and Oryzanol tablets (20 mg thrice a day). The laboratory indicators including serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE), blood immune cells, as T-cells (Th and Ts), B-cells, natural killer cells, as well as CD4/CD8 ratio were measured before and after 3-month treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment the difference in scores of fatigue symptoms between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01), the scores of various SCL-90 factors and the total score significantly reduced in the treated group after treatment (P < 0.01). Levels of the immunoglobulins measured before treatment were in an equilibrium state, they all were unchanged after treatment in both groups (P > 0.05), and showed no significant difference between groups either before or after treatment. As for the immune cells, significant increase of the lowered Th, Ts cells, and decrease of CD4/CD8 ratio were found in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05), but the improvement was more significant in the treated group, so the difference between groups in these indices after treatment also showed statistical significance (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>LJR shows superiority in treating CFS.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , CD4-CD8 Ratio , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Therapeutic Uses , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic , Drug Therapy , Allergy and Immunology , Immunoglobulins , Blood , Phytotherapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical efficacies of Chinese composite Yanting Decoction medicated via two different paths (via oral and via retention enema) in treating chronic pelvic inflammation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adopting the randomized multicentered parallel contrast principle, 93 patients were assigned to the retention enema (RE) group (47 cases) and the oral medicated (OM) group (46 cases) at random, Yanting Decoction was administered via respective paths for 10 days as one course. The changes of syndromes (qi-stagnance and blood stasis) and local signs were observed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 47 patients of the RE group, 3 were cured, the treatment was markedly effective in 20, effective in 22 and ineffective in 2, the total effective rate being 95.7%; while in the 46 patients of the OM group, the corresponding number were 1, 8, 30, 7 and 84.8%, respectively, the difference of the total effective rate between groups was statistically significant (P <0.05). The total effective rate for TCM syndromes in the RE and the OM group was 95.7% (45/47) and 82.6% (38/46) respectively, and that for local signs, 97.9% (46/47) and 84.8% (39/46) respectively, the improvements in the RE group were better than those in the OM group (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chinese preparation Yanting Decoction shows good clinical efficacy in treating chronic pelvic inflammation of qi-stagnant blood-stasis type, the effect could be enhanced by medicating via retention enema than that via oral.</p>