[Mechanism of active components of "Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma-Drynariae Rhizoma" in treatment of osteoporosis based on network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiment].

The present study aimed to explore the main active components and potential mechanisms of Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS) and osteopractic total flavone(OTF) in the treatment of osteoporosis(OP) through network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vitro cell experiments, which was expected to provide a theoretical basis for clinical applications. The blood-entering components of PNS and OTF were obtained from literature search and online database, and their potential targets were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction. The OP targets were obtained by means of searching Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM) and GeneCards. The common targets of the drug and disease were screened by Venn. Cytoscape was used to construct a "drug-component-target-disease" network, and the core components were screened according to the node degree. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape, and the core targets were screened according to the node degree. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of potential therapeutic targets were carried out by R language. Molecular docking was used to determine the binding activity of some active components to key targets by AutoDock Vina. Finally, HIF-1 signaling pathway was selected for in vitro experimental verification according to the results of KEGG pathway analysis. Network pharmacology showed that there were 45 active components such as leachianone A, kurarinone, 20(R)-protopanaxatriol, 20(S)-protopanaxatriol, and kaempferol, and 103 therapeutic targets such as IL6, AKT1, TNF, VEGFA and MAPK3 involved. PI3K-AKT, HIF-1, TNF and other signaling pathways were enriched. Molecular docking revealed that the core components had good binding ability to the core targets. In vitro experiments found that PNS-OTF could up-regulate the mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGFA and Runx2, indicating that the mechanism of PNS-OTF in treating OP may be related to the activation of HIF-1 signaling pathway, and thus PNS-OTF played a role in promoting angiogenesis and osteogenic differentiation. In conclusion, this study predicted the core targets and pathways of PNS-OTF in treating OP based on network pharmacology and carried out in vitro experimental verification, which reflected the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway synergy of PNS-OTF, and provided new ideas for the future clinical treatment of OP.

Insights into the key quality components in Se-Enriched green tea and their relationship with Selenium.

Selenium-enriched green tea (Se-GT) is of increasing interest because of its health benefits, but its quality components obtained limited research. In this study, Enshi Se-enriched green tea (ESST, high-Se green tea), Pingli Se-enriched green tea (PLST, low-Se green tea), and Ziyang green tea (ZYGT, common green tea) were subjected to sensory evaluation, chemical analysis, and aroma profiling. Chemical profiles in Se-GT were consistent with the taste attributes of the sensory analysis. 9 volatiles were identified as key odorants of Se-GT based on multivariate analysis. Correlations between Se and quality components were further assessed and highly Se-related compounds contents in these three tea samples were compared. The results showed that most amino acids and non-gallated catechins were highly negatively correlated with Se, while gallated catechins exhibited strong positive correlation with Se. And there were strong and significant associations between the key aroma compounds and Se. Moreover, 11 differential markers were found between Se-GTs and common green tea, including catechin, serine, glycine, threonine, l-theanine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, histidine, and lysine. These findings provide great potential for quality evaluation of Se-GT.

Antibacterial property, corrosion and discoloration resistance of pure copper containing Zn or Ni.

This study focused on the effects of Zn and Ni addition on the antibacterial properties and corrosion resistance of copper alloys. The antimicrobial properties of copper and copper alloys were evaluated using Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 bacterial strain by employing the overlay and plate counting methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze the surface composition of the alloy after contact with bacteria. A salt spray method was used to simulate an artificial sweat contact environment to test the discoloration and corrosion resistance of the alloy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the film layer and surface material composition of the corroded samples. The addition of Ni reduced the antibacterial performance of pure copper; however, the antibacterial performance of the alloy remained fast and efficient after the addition of Zn. Moreover, the addition of Zn and Ni significantly improved the corrosion resistance and surface discoloration of copper alloys in artificial sweat environments. This study provided support for the future application of copper alloys as antimicrobial surface-contact materials with safer public and medical environments in the face of diseases spread by large populations. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12598-022-02098-8.

Development of a Novel MR Colonography via Iron-Based Solid Lipid Nanoparticles.

PURPOSE: To develop an iron-based solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) absorbable by the intestinal wall and assess the differential diagnostic value of intestinal lesions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: SLNs were prepared with the simultaneous loading of trivalent Fe ions (Fe3+), levodopa methyl ester (DM), and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). We evaluated the particle size, loading rate, encapsulation efficiency, and cytotoxicity of SLNs. The T1 contrast effects of the FeDM-FITC-SLNs and gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) were compared in different mouse models: acute ulcerative colitis (AUC), chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), and normal control. MRI was performed in the same mouse with intravenous injection of GBCA on day 1 and enema of FeDM-FITC-SLNs on day 2. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were compared using one-way analysis of variance. Tissues were then collected for histology. RESULTS: The average particle size of FeDM-FITC-SLN was 220 nm. The mean FeDM loading rate was 94.3%, and the encapsulation efficiency was 60.3%. The relaxivity was 4.02 mM-1·s-1. After enema with FeDM-FITC-SLNs, MRI showed the following contrast enhancement duration: AUC = COAD > normal > CUC. Confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed that FeDM-FITC-SLNs were mainly distributed in the intestinal mucosa and tumor capsule. CONCLUSION: Iron-based SLNs are promising alternatives for contrast enhancement at T1-weighted MRI and will help in the differential diagnosis of intestinal bowel diseases (IBDs).

Flowerlike Ni-NiO composite as magnetic solid-phase extraction sorbent for analysis of carbendazim and thiabendazole in edible vegetable oils by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A rapid, selective, and sensitive method was developed for the detection of carbendazim and thiabendazole in edible vegetable oil. Two benzimidazole analytes were pre-concentrated by magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) using flowerlike Ni-NiO composite as sorbents and followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The flowerlike Ni-NiO composite sorbent displayed a high affinity towards benzimidazole analytes due to the reversible coordination interaction between the Ni(Ⅱ) ion and the electron-donating imidazole group. In comparison to the previous methods, this procedure is less time-consuming and simpler during sample preparation. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized in detail. The method was validated according to SANTE/12682/2019. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.001-0.003 mg•kg-1. The recoveries ranged from 89.3% to 110.7% with inter-day and inter-day precision less than 10.9%. The results indicate that flowerlike Ni-NiO composite might be a promising alternative for MSPE of benzimidazole compounds in foods.

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Ameliorates Silica-Induced Lung Injury through the Nrf2-Regulated Glutathione Metabolism Pathway in Mice.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a natural antioxidant approved as a nutritional supplement and food ingredient, but its protective role in silicosis characterized by oxidative damage remains unknown. In this study, we generated a silicosis model by intratracheal instillation of silica, and then performed histopathological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analysis to evaluate the role of NMN in silicosis. We found that NMN mitigated lung damage at 7 and 28 days, manifested as a decreasing coefficient of lung weight and histological changes, and alleviated oxidative damage by reducing levels of reactive oxygen species and increasing glutathione. Meanwhile, NMN treatment also reduced the recruitment of inflammatory cells and inflammatory infiltration in lung tissue. Transcriptomic analysis showed that NMN treatment mainly regulated immune response and glutathione metabolism pathways. Additionally, NMN upregulated the expression of antioxidant genes Gstm1, Gstm2, and Mgst1 by promoting the expression and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). Gene interaction analysis showed that Nrf2 interacted with Gstm1 and Mgst1 through Gtsm2. Promisingly, oxidative damage mediated by these genes occurred mainly in fibroblasts. In summary, NMN alleviates silica-induced oxidative stress and lung injury by regulating the endogenous glutathione metabolism pathways. This study reveals that NMN supplementation might be a promising strategy for mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation in silicosis.

Gadolinium-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Colorectal Tumor in MR Colonography.

The current study aims to investigate the possibility of using solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs)-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) colonography to diagnose colorectal cancer. Gd-FITC-SLNs were synthesized by loading gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) simultaneously. Twenty mice received azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) to induce adenocarcinoma of the colon and were divided into 4 groups, and 5 in per group. MR colonography were performed at different time periods before and after enema or intravenous injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs or Gd-DTPA. The results demonstrated SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) significantly increased from 1.56- to 1.76-fold within the colorectal tumors after the enema of Gd-FITC-SLNs (p < 0.001). No differences in SNR were observed after the enema of Gd-DTPA (p > 0.05). Besides, SNR increased from 1.54- to 1.72-fold within the colorectal tumors after the intravenous injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs (p < 0.001) while SNR increased from 1.39to 1.57-fold within the colorectal tumors after the injection of Gd-DTPA (p < 0.001). In addition, SNR within colorectal tumors significantly increased ranging from 20th to 140th min, and lasted for about 120 min (p < 0.05) after the enema of Gd-FITC-SLNs and SNR within colorectal tumors also significantly increased ranging from 0th hour to 8th hour, lasted for about 8 hour (p < 0.05) after the injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs. However, after the injection of Gd-DTPA, SNR within colorectal tumors significantly increased only ranging from 0th min to 20th min after administration (p < 0.01). Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining revealed that all mice developed adenocarcinoma of the colon. In summary, it is feasible by using Gd-FITC-SLNs in MR colonography to diagnose colorectal cancer. Enema of Gd-FITC-SLNs can provide marked enhancement of colorectal tumors quickly, and safer while intravenous injection of Gd-FITC-SLNs can provide a long-lasting enhancement of colorectal tumors in MR colonography. These findings present a potential clinical application of Gd-FITC-SLNs on MR colonography.

Smart Assembled Human Serum Albumin Nanocarrier Enhanced Breast Cancer Treatment and Antitumor Immunity by Chemo- photothermal Therapy.

High invasion and metastasis are the major obstacles to successful breast cancertherapy. Indocyanine green (ICG), a photosensitizer for photothermal therapy (PTT), shows potent anticancer efficacy when combined with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX). Human serum albumin (HSA), a biocompatible carrier material, has been successfully used for the delivery of paclitaxel (Abraxane). In addition, there are ICG functional binding regions in HSA. Thus, a smart assembled nanoplatform (DI@HSA NPs) was constructed to achieve the synergistic effects of chemo- photothermal therapy against breast cancer. Compared to free ICG and free DOX, DI@HSA NPs showed satisfactory stability and exhibited an enhanced tumor targeting capacity. The mild hyperthermia generated by DI@HSA NPs can not only cause tumor photothermal ablation and promote the uptake of DI@HSA NPs by 4T1 cells, but also protect the healthy tissues nearby the tumor from overheating injury. More importantly, DI@HSA NPs greatly amplified the infiltration of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, resulting in inhibited tumor growth and metastasis. DI@HSA NPs, as a simple biocompatible nanoagent, showed excellent inhibition of breast cancer growth and metastasis by chemo-photothermal therapy, providing a potential strategy for the future therapy of breast cancer.

Rapid and sensitive detection of fipronil and its metabolites in edible oils by solid-phase extraction based on humic acid bonded silica combined with gas chromatography with electron capture detection.

Solid-phase extraction based on humic acid bonded silica followed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection was developed to determine fipronil and its metabolites in edible oil. To achieve the best extraction performance, we systematically investigated a series of solid-phase extraction parameters. Under the optimized conditions, the method was validated according to linearity, recovery, and precision. Good linearities were obtained with R(2) more than 0.9996 for all analytes. The limits of detection were between 0.3 and 0.5 ng/g, and the recoveries ranged from 83.1 to 104.0% at three spiked concentrations with intra- and interday relative standard deviation values less than 8.7%. Finally, the proposed method was applied to determine fipronil and its metabolites in 11 edible oil samples taken from Wuhan markets. Fipronil was detectable in four samples with concentrations ranging from 3.0 to 5.2 ng/g. In China, the maximum residue limits of fipronil in some vegetables and maize are 20 and 100 ng/g (GB/T 2763-2014), respectively. The residues of fipronil and its metabolites in commercial edible oils might exhibit some potential threat to human health as a result of high consumption of edible oil as part of daily intake.

[Observe effect the treatment of HanFangJiaSu on pneumoconiosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the curative effect of HanFangJiaSu on pneumoconiosis. METHOD: 71 patients with silicosis were divided into trial group and control group at random. The treating group (36 patients) was treated 90 days with HanFangJiaSu and The control group (35 patients) was treated 90 days with XiFeiNing. The silicosis with cough,chest complaint, dyspnoea and immune modulation were observed before treating and after treating. The effect was compared between the two groups. RESULT: To compared with the group before treatment and the control group, the symptoms score of cough, chest complaint and dyspnoea in treated group was significantly decreased after treatment(P<0.05). The rate was decreased by 69.35% in treated group and 50.00% in controls, which showed the treatment in both groups was effective. The rate in treated group was significantly decreased more than in controls(P<0.05). There were 13 cases with respiratory tract infection and 2 cases with lung infection in treated group of which percentage were 36.11% and 5.55%, while 22 cases and 4 cases in control group of which percentage were 57.14% and 28.57%. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). To compared with the group before treatment, the quantity of CD(4) in blood was obviously increased, while CD(8) was obviously decreased, which showed a significant increase of CD(4)/ CD(8), (P<0.05). To compared with control group, the quantity of CD(4) in treated group was obviously increased, while CD8 was obviously decreased, which also showed a significant increase of CD(4)/CD(8) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference with the concentration of immune globulin (IgG, IgA, IgM) between the groups before and after treatment.