Humulus lupulus L. extract and its active constituent xanthohumol attenuate oxidative stress and nerve injury induced by iron overload via activating AKT/GSK3ß and Nrf2/NQO1 pathways.

Hops, the dried female clusters from Humulus lupulus L., have traditionally been used as folk medicines for treating insomnia, neuralgia, and menopausal disorders. However, its pharmacological action on iron overload induced nerve damage has not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of hops extract (HLE) and its active constituent xanthohumol (XAN) on nerve injury induced by iron overload in vivo and in vitro, and to explore its underlying mechanism. The results showed that HLE and XAN significantly improved the memory impairment of iron overload mice, mainly manifested as shortened latency time, increased crossing platform times and spontaneous alternation ratio, and increased the expression of related proteins. Additionally, HLE and XAN significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities, and remarkably decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in hippocampus. Also, HLE and XAN apparently reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) content of PC12 cells induced by iron dextran (ID), and improved the oxidative stress level. Moreover, HLE and XAN significantly upregulated the expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor (Nrf2), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), SOD, phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), and phosphorylated GSK3ß (p-GSK3ß) both in hippocampus and PC12 cells. These findings demonstrated the protective effect of HLE and XAN against iron-induced memory impairment, which is attributed to its antioxidant profile by activation of AKT/GSK3ß and Nrf2/NQO1 pathways. Also, it was suggested that hops could be a potential candidate for iron overload-related neurological diseases treatment.

Pediatric Classic Prescription Xiaoruwan Based on Ancient Literature / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Xiaoruwan is one of the classic prescriptions included in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions （the Second Batch of Pediatrics） published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM） in 2022 with definite clinical efficacy， but it has not been converted into Chinese patent medicine preparations. The authors collected 173 pieces of data based on ancient literature on Xiaoruwan by the method of bibliometrics and selected 99 pieces of effective data， involving 46 ancient books of TCM. The study analyzed the historical development origin， prescription names， formulation rules， dosage， drug origin， preparation method and usage， indications and functions， and other aspects of Xiaoruwan. The results showed that Xiaoruwan was presumably derived from Ying Hai Miao Jue Lun（《婴孩妙诀论》） written by TANG Minwang， a doctor in the Song Dynasty. In the records of ancient medical books， there are names such as Xiaoshiwan，Yangshi Xiaoruwan， and Kuaige Xiaoshiwan， but they are mainly recorded in the name of Xiaoruwan. The prescription was composed of Cyperi Rhizoma， Amomi Fructus， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， Massa Medicata Fermentata， Hordei Fructus Germinatus， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. In terms of processing method， Cyperi Rhizoma， Massa Medicata Fermentata， and Hordei Fructus Germinatus are fried， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is processed， and raw materials of Amomi Fructus and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium are used directly. In terms of function， it is effective in warming the middle， improving digestion， stopping vomiting， and digesting milk and food. The main indications include vomiting， diarrhea， night crying， and other diseases caused by milk and food stagnation. The dosage of the most used prescription in the records of ancient books is Cyperi Rhizoma 41.30 g， Amomi Fructus 20.65 g， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium 20.65 g， Massa Medicata Fermentata 20.65 g， Hordei Fructus Germinatus 20.65 g， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma 20.65 g， which are prepared into pills. In the taking method， it is recommended to take it with warm boiled water or ginger soup after meals. The study summarized the historical evolution of Xiaoruwan and identified the key information， with a view to providing a reference for the modern development and research of Xiaoruwan.

Acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the short-term efficacy, long-term efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).@*METHODS@#Forty-two patients with CP/CPPS were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (21 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a sham acupuncture group (21 cases). The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Zhongliao (BL 33), Huiyang (BL 35), Shenshu (BL 23) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6); the needling depth of Zhongliao (BL 33) and Huiyang (BL 35) was 60 to 80 mm, while Shenshu (BL 23) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) was directly punctured of 30 mm. The patients in the sham acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at non-acupoints, including points 2 cm next to Shenshu (BL 23), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Huiyang (BL 35), and the midpoint of the connecting line between the spleen meridian and the kidney meridian. All the non-acupoints were treated with directly puncture of 2 to 3 mm. The needles were left for 30 min in both groups, once every other day in the first four weeks, three times a week, and twice a week in the next four weeks, totally 20 treatments. Before treatment, after treatment and in follow-up of 24 weeks after treatment completion, the National Institutes of Health-chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI) score and urinary flow rate were observed in both groups; the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated.@*RESULTS@#Compared with those before treatment, the pain and discomfort scores, urination symptoms scores, quality of life scores and total scores of NIH-CPSI in both groups were reduced after treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), while each item score and total score of NIH-CPSI in the acupuncture group were reduced in follow-up (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment and in follow-up, each item score and total score of NIH-CPSI in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the maximum and average urinary flow rates in the acupuncture group were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the average urinary flow rate in the acupuncture group was higher than that in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 75.0% (15/20) in the acupuncture group, which was higher than 42.9% (9/21) in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). No significant adverse reactions were observed in the two groups, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture could effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms, improve quality of life, and has a sustained, safe and reliable therapeutic effect in patients with CP/CPPS.

UPLC fingerprint and determination of five components of substance benchmark of classical prescription Shentong Zhuyu Decoction / 中国中药杂志

Fingerprints of 18 batches of substance benchmark of Shentong Zhuyu Decoction(SZD) were established by UPLC under the following conditions: Waters Sun Fire C_(18) column(3.0 mm×150 mm, 3.5 μm), column temperature of 35 ℃, gradient elution with mobile phase of acetonitrile(A)-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(B) at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1), and detection by wavelength switching. A total of 16 common peaks were identified. The similarities among the fingerprints were calculated by Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2012 Edition) and the result showed they were in the range of 0.911-0.988. Based on the 16 common peaks, cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) all categorized the 18 batches of samples into two groups(S1, S2, S5-S8, S14, and S17 in one group, and S1, S2, S5-S8, S14, and S17 in another), and 11 most influential components were screened. Five known components with great difference among samples(hydroxysafflor yellow A, ferulic acid, benzoic acid, ecdysone, and ammonium glycyrrhizinate) were determined. The combination of multi-component content determination and fingerprints can reflect the overall cha-racteristics of the primary standards of SZD, which is simple, feasible, reproducible, and stable. This study can serve as a reference for the quality control of the primary standards of SZD.

Humulus lupulus L. Extract Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis in Mice and Regulates Activities of Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To systematically evaluate the protective effects of Humulus lupulus L. extract (HLE) on osteoporosis mice.@*METHODS@#In vivo experiment, a total of 35 12-week-old female ICR mice were equally divided into 5 groups: the sham control group (sham); the ovariectomy with vehicle group (OVX); the OVX with estradiol valerate [EV, 0.2 mg/(kg•d)] the OVX with low- or high-dose HLE groups [HLE, 1 g/(kg•d) and 3 g/(kg•d)], 7 in each group. Treatment began 1 week after the ovariectomized surgery and lasted for 12 weeks. Bone mass and trabecular bone mircoarchitecture were evaluated by micro computed tomography, and bone turnover markers in serum were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In vitro experiment, osteoblasts and osteoclasts were treated with HLE at doses of 0, 4, 20 and 100 µg/mL. Biomarkers for bone formation in osteoblasts and bone resorption in osteoclasts were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the OVX group, HLE exerted bone protective effects by the increase of estradiol (P<0.05), the improvement of cancellous bone structure, bone mineral density (P<0.01) and the reduction of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), bone gla-protein, c-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I) and deoxypyridinoline levels (P<0.01 for all). In vitro experiment, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL promoted the cell proliferation (P<0.01), and increased the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteopontin levels in osteoblasts (both P<0.05). HLE at 100 µg/mL increased the osteoblastic ALP activities, and HLE at all dose enhanced the extracellular matrix mineralization (both P<0.01). Furthermore, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL inhibited osteoclastic TRAP activity (P<0.01), and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cathepsin K (both P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#HLE may protect against bone loss, and have potentials in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Textual Research of Mori Cortex in Classical Prescriptions / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The research and development of classical famous prescriptions is an important way to actively promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine.It is particularly important to sort out the historical evolution of the composition of traditional famous prescriptions to make clear the origin，producing areas and concocting methods of traditional Chinese medicine，which is the source of ensuring the safety and efficacy.Through literature review，it is found that at present，the research of mulberry white skin focuses on chemical composition，pharmacological mechanism and modern clinical research，and there are few ancient literature studies.Therefore，based on the ancient literature，the author conducts a comprehensive textual research on mulberry bark from its name，origin，producing areas and concocting methods and other aspects，in order to provide literature reference for the research and development of the prescription involving mulberry bark in the classic prescription.Through research，we can know that there are more than 20 aliases of mulberry bark，and the most commonly used names in modern times are "sangbaipi""sanggenbaipi""sangpi"，etc.In Tang and Song dynasties and before，mulberry bark was mainly composed of Morus alba var. alba and jisang，after Tang and Song dynasties，mulberry bark plant sources showed diversity，in modern times，Morus alba var. alba was gradually identified as the main medicinal species of mulberry bark.Therefore，it is suggested that Morus alba var. alba be selected as the plant source of mulberry bark.According to ancient books，mulberry trees are cultivated everywhere，with Jiangsu，Zhejiang and Sichuan as the best areas，and Henan and Anhui as the most popular areas in modern times.The conclusion of ancient and modern quality of mulberry bark is basically the same，the root skin is white，thick and sweet.The morden concocting methods of mulberry bark mainly include raw mulberry bark，honey mulberry bark and fried mulberry bark.According to the textual research of ancient literature，in addition to the above three kinds of medical specifications，there have been concocting methods without auxiliary materials，such as burning，baking and roasting，as well as concocting methods with auxiliary materials，such as bran roasting，rice swill soaking，honey wine roasting，etc.The concocting methods of mulberry bark used by the classical famous recipe should be selected in combination with specific drug provisions.

Textual Research on Lycii Cortex / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The research and development of classical prescriptions is an important way to promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and promote the modernization and internationalization of TCM. It is particularly important to summarize the historical development of the composition of classical prescriptions, so as to define their origin, taste efficacy and syndrome taboos. It is also the source to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the whole prescription. As a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal material, Lycii Cortex is widely used and has a good prospect for research and development. There are five prescriptions containing wolfberry bark in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Prescriptions(the First Batch). There are only a few modern literatures on the development of Lycii Cortex. Therefore, this paper will summarize the development of skeleton skin alias, origin, nature, taste, meridian, efficacy, syndromes and taboos in ancient books of the previous dynasties. Textual analysis found that Lycii Cortex was first recorded in the Fifty-two Pathogenic Prescriptions. Ancient books before the Han dynasty did not mention the Chinese medicinal material named " Digupi" . There are little differences in the contents about Digupi between modern literatures and ancient books of the previous dynasties. With the changes of the times, Lycii Cortex has been rarely used, with a fault inheritance, suggesting that there are still many potential efficacy indications for clinical application. In addition to the traditional Chinese medicinal specifications, ancient books also recorded the processing methods with liquorice soup, fried, roasted, children's stool, wine soaking and steaming.

Investigation of Xiebaisan Based on Ancient Literature / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Xiebaisan, which is one of the famous classical formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Famous Classical Formulas (The First Batch) published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in 2018, is derived from the Xiao' er Yaozheng Zhijue with definite clinical effect. By means of bibliometrics, 118 relevant ancient book data were collected, including 75 ancient books of TCM. It was found that the main symptoms of Xiebaisan had been expanded in the past dynasties. For example, the adaptive population of Xiebaisan had been extended from children to women and adults, and the scope of symptoms and signs had also been extended from pediatrics to internal medicine and gynecology. Meanwhile, the names, pathogenesis and syndromes of diseases are also described extensively, although the dosage ratio is different, the compatibility ratio of Mori Cortex, Lycii Cortex and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is relatively constant, and the decoction method is mostly followed by decocted power. At the same time, doctors in Ming and Qing dynasties have made a lot of general comments on explanation of this formula, but there is little controversy.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Sanzi Yangqintang and Colon Hydrotherapy on Treatment of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Phlegm-dampness / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To explore the clinical efficacy of modified Sanzi Yangqintang combined with colon hydrotherapy in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with phlegm-dampness. Method::Totally 100 patients with NAFLD were selected and randomly divided into treatment group (50 cases) and control group (50 cases). Both groups were orally given silybin and glycyrrhizic acid diamine capsules.The treatment group was also added with modified Sanzi Yangqintang and colon hydrotherapy.The treatment lasted for 7 days.The control group was also added with saline colon hydrotherapy.Main traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores and liver function indexes before and after treatment [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamate transpeptidase (GGT)], blood lipid routine [cholesterol (TCH), triglyceride (TG)], inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)], FibroScan measurement [liver stiffness measurement (LSM), controlled attenuation parameters (CAP)], uric acid and body weight changes were observed.Adverse reactions were observed, and the patient's medication safety was evaluated. Result::TCM syndrome score, liver enzyme index, blood lipid index, inflammatory factor index, FibroScan CAP, uric acid and body weight of the two groups were significantly reduced than those before treatment(P<0.05, P<0.01) .There was no significant difference in liver enzymes, TCH, IL-6 and LSM between treatment group and control group.And TCM syndrome scores, UA, TNF-α, FibroScan CAP decreased were significantly different from control group (P<0.05). Conclusion::Modified Sanzi Yangqintang combined with colon hydrotherapy can not only alleviate NAFLD with phlegm-dampness symptoms, but also significantly reduce triglyceride, tumor necrosis factor and FibroScan CAP and body mass, with certain clinical efficacy in a short term.

Effect of Modified Taohe Chengqitang Combined with Colon Hydrotherapy on Inflammatory Factors and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Severe Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To define the clinical efficacy of modified Taohe Chengqitang combined with colon hydrotherapy in patients with severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) accompanied by phlegm-heat stagnation syndrome and its mechanism. Method::Totally 100 patients with severe NAFLD by phlegm-heat stagnation syndrome were enrolled in the study.They were all given Shanzha Xiaozhi capsule.According to the random number table, the patients were randomly divided into the observation group (50 patients, colon hydrotherapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine) and the control group (50 patients, Shanzha Xiaozhi capsule alone). The observation period was 4 weeks.The therapeutic effect of colon hydrotherapy was verified through determinations of the liver function, blood lipid, insulin resistance index (IRI), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) before and after treatment.The mechanism of colon hydrotherapy combined with modified Taohe Chengqitang was preliminarily analyzed based on changes of IR, TNF-α and IL-6. Result::Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transpeptadase (γ-GT), total cholesterol (TCH), triglyceride (TG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulins (FINS), IRI, CAP, TNF-αand IL-6 of NAFLD patients in both of two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.01). ALT, AST, γ-GT, TCH, TG, FPG, IRI, CAP, TNF-α and IL-6 in observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.01). FINS in observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion::Colon hydrotherapy combined with modified Taohe Chengqitang is an effective method for treating NAFLD accompanied by phlegm-heat stagnation syndrome.Its mechanism may be mainly correlated with the reduction of IRI, serum TNF-α and IL-6.The course of colon hydrotherapy, the therapeutic mechanism and the long-term efficacy need to be further studied in the future.

Prescription for NAFLD Based on Relationship Between Intestinal Microecology and Spleen-stomach's Ascending and Descending Theory / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a kind of metabolic stress liver injury, which has become one of most common chronic liver diseases in China and even world. Therefore, the occurrence and development of NAFLD and its prevention and treatment have been attracted more and more attention. The disturbance of intestinal microecology, especially intestinal flora, is one of important factors leading to NAFLD. The syndrome traceability, etiology and pathogenesis of nafld in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are related to imbalance of spleen-stomach's ascending and descending. The effect of NAFLD treatment depends on spleen-stomach's ascending and descending. The intestinal tract is main part for realizing spleen-stomach function according to principle of TCM. Intestinal flora is a regulation factor affecting host metabolism, which is consistent with biological connotation of TCM principle of spleen-stomach's ascending and descending. Because spleen-stomach's ascending and descending disorder is consistent with symptoms of intestinal flora imbalance, intestinal flora is closely related to spleen-stomach's ascending and descending in TCM. Based on modern intestinal micro-ecosystem, this paper expounds theoretical basis for treatment of NAFLD based on relationship between spleen-stomach's ascending and descending in TCM, and on that basis, ideas of prescription and medication for NAFLD were put forward, mainly including: invigorating spleen and replenishing Qi and ascending clearity, regulating Qi-flowing and regulating stomach and descending turbidity, resolving phlegm, activating blood circulation and dissipating accumulation, and dominant role in coordinating spleen-stomach's ascending and descending and intestinal microecology is highlighted in treatment of NAFLD. Soothing liver and regulating Qi, dispersing and descending lung-Qi, ascending clearity and descending turbidity, and warming and activating kidney-Yang, synergistic factors for onset of NAFLD were taken into account to promote spleen-stomach's ascending and descending functions, and therapeutic effect shall be considered from perspective of intestinal microecology. After retention enema with Chinese herbs, transporting function of large intestine might be activated to help stomach-Qi descending and coordinate spleen-stomach's ascending and descending, and intestinal microecological mechanism of drug delivery channel intervening NAFLD may be studied based on 16s rDNA gene pathway. With deepening of research on intestinal flora, relationship between it and spleen-stomach's ascending and descending and NAFLD will be further revealed, which not only inherits China's long history of applying spleen-stomach's ascending and descending to treat liver diseases, but also expand perspective of regulating intestinal microecolog(intestinal flora) in treatment of NAFLD.

Application of four-track teaching mode (LBL, CBL, PBL and mind map) in the pediatric teaching of integrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application effect of four-track teaching mode (LBL: lecture-based learning; CBL: case-based learning; PBL: problem-based learning) in pediatric teaching of integrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.Methods:175 integrated traditional Chinese and Western medical students in seven-year program were divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group was taught by four-track teaching mode, while students in the control group. Were applied with traditional teaching method ("LBL+CBL").Results:Students in the experimental group highly rated the four-track teaching mode and were better than those in the control group in the following aspects: satisfaction with teaching methods, interest in learning, the ability of creative thinking, the thinking ability of clinical diagnosis and treatment, and memorization ( P<0.05). And students' mid-term, final and comprehensive scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with traditional teaching methods, the four-track teaching mode can improve the quality of pediatric teaching of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medical students, which should be further integrated and perfected in the teaching practice.

Virtual screening of antithrombotic alkaloids from Houttuynia cordata / 中国中药杂志

Antithrombus is one of the effective methods to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,the author's previous research and relevant literature,it was found that the alkaloids in Houttuynia cordata has potential antithrombotic effect. However,the pharmacological substance basis and antithrombotic mechanism of H. cordata have not been clarified. In this study,molecular docking was used for virtual screening of antithrombotic alkaloids from H. cordata. Seventy alkaloids selected from H. cordata were screened in the docking ligand data-base with teen thrombosis targets with known crystal structures as the receptors. In addition,the small-molecule approved or to be approved drugs of targets from Drug Bank database were set as a positive reference with minimum score(S value) of each target's approved or to be approved drugs as threshold. The Dock module in Molecular Operating Environment(Version 2016) software was applied to screen the potential active compounds which their scores(S value) were lower than the minimum score of reference. At last the mechanism of antithrombotic effect was preliminarily revealed by compared the main active sites of the test alkaloids with original ligands and references. This study provided some useful information to development of antithrombus drugs.

Intervention Effect of Fuyuan Huoxuetang for Postoperative Syndrome of Partial Splenic Arterial Embolization in Patients with Hypersplenism of Blood Stasis Type Liver Cirrhosis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To analyze the effect of Fuyuan Huoxuetang for the postoperative syndrome of partial splenic arterial embolization (PSE) in patients with hypersplenism of blood stasis type hepatic cirrhosis. Method: 86 patients with hypersplenism of blood stasis type hepatic cirrhosis treated with PSE were divided into observation group (44 cases) and control group (42 cases). Patients in both groups were treated with routine liver protection, antiviral, postoperative prophylactic anti-infection and symptomatic supportive care. Patients in treatment group started to take the Fuyuan Huoxuetang on the first day after the operation of PSE. The degree of pain, duration of fever, abdominal distention, and biochemical index changes of the two groups were observed 7 days after surgery. Result: After postoperative treatment, both groups of patients showed significant increases in the levels of -glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and white blood cell(WBC)(PP(P0.05) after the treatment with oral Fuyuan Huoxuetang. As compared with control group, the pain score was significantly lower in observation group (PPPConclusion: Fuyuan Huoxuetang could effectively interfere with the postoperative syndrome of PSE in patients with hepatic cirrhosis combined with hypersplenism by reducing pain, shortening the duration of fever and relieving the degree of abdominal distension and constipation.

Analysis of Zingiberaceae in E'mei Area Using ITS2 Sequences / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the use of ITS2 sequences as DNA barcode to identify the Zingiberaceae medicinal plants from E'mei area. Method: The genomic DNAs were extracted from 43 Zingiberaceae medicinal plant samples from Sichuan E'mei area. The ITS2 sequences of these samples were amplified and bidirectionally sequenced by PCR. 40 ITS2 sequences were downloaded from the GenBank,and then the interspecific and intraspecific genetic distances were calculated and analyzed by using MEGA 6.0 to construct Neighbor-joining (NJ) tree; TAXON DNA software was also used to analyze intraspecific and interspecific variations and barcoding gaps. The differences in secondary structure of the ITS2 sequences were predicted and compared. Result: The minimum interspecific distance in Zingiberaceae samples was greater than the maximum intra specific distance,with obvious barcoding gap. The NJ tree showed that the samples were clustered into five different branches,Alpinia,Curcuma,Globba,Hedychium,and Zingiber respectively,and further cluster into sub-branches. Significant differences were also present in the secondary structures of ITS2 between different samples. Conclusion: ITS2 sequences as DNA barcode can be used to conduct accurate and rapid identification of the Zingiberaceae plants and clearly figure out the phylogenetic relationship among them,providing guidance for the study of the distribution of medicinal plants of this genus,as well as theoretical basis for the quality control,medication safety and rational development of Zingiberaceae medicinal plants in E'mei area.

Effect of saffron aqueous extract on the level of blood glucose in experimental diabetes mice / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the effects of saffron aqueous extract (SE) on blood glucose, lipid and pancreatic tissue in streptozocin-induced diabetes mice.@*METHODS@#Diabetes mellitus mice were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (60 mg/kg) for two consecutive days. The 30 well-established diabetes mice were randomly divided into three groups(=10):diabetic mellitus (DM) group, SE treated (SE) group and positive control (metformin hydrochloride, MH) group. Another ten normal mice were selected as normal control (NC) group. The mice in SE and MH groups were intragastrically administered with SE 100 mg/kg or MH 100 mg/kg once a day for 6 weeks, mice in DM and NC were given normal saline. The amount of food-intake, water consumption and body weight were measured weekly, the changes of the indicators including fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose-tolerance test (OGTT), glycated serum protein (GSP), insulin (INS) and blood lipid were determined after 6 weeks of continuous administration. The pathologic changes in the pancreas tissues were detected by HE staining.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal control group, the amount of food-intake, water consumption, area under the curve, FBG, GSP, and total cholesterol (TC) were significantly increased, while fasting weight, INS and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) were dramatically decreased in DM group. Compared with DM group, the water consumption, FBG, area under the curve and TC in SE group were starkly declined with a notable elevation of HDL-c and INS. In addition, the biopsy from DM mice showed the structure of pancreas islet was destroyed and reduced, and vascular proliferation with irregular shape. The damaged pancreas was obviously repaired by giving SE.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The saffron aqueous extract had efficacy on blood glucose and blood lipids reduction, improvement on damaged pancreas in streptozocininduced diabetic mice, which suggested that saffron could be used for the treatment in diabetes.

Phospholipase D2 loss results in increased blood pressure via inhibition of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway.

The Phospholipase D (PLD) superfamily is linked to neurological disease, cancer, and fertility, and a recent report correlated a potential loss-of-function PLD2 polymorphism with hypotension. Surprisingly, PLD2 -/- mice exhibit elevated blood pressure accompanied by associated changes in cardiac performance and molecular markers, but do not have findings consistent with the metabolic syndrome. Instead, expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which generates the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO), is decreased. An eNOS inhibitor phenocopied PLD2 loss and had no further effect on PLD2 -/- mice, confirming the functional relationship. Using a human endothelial cell line, PLD2 loss of function was shown to lower intracellular free cholesterol, causing upregulation of HMG Co-A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. HMG Co-A reductase negatively regulates eNOS, and the PLD2-deficiency phenotype of decreased eNOS expression and activity could be rescued by cholesterol supplementation and HMG Co-A reductase inhibition. Together, these findings identify a novel pathway through which the lipid signaling enzyme PLD2 regulates blood pressure, creating implications for on-going therapeutic development of PLD small molecule inhibitors. Finally, we show that the human PLD2 polymorphism does not trigger eNOS loss, but rather creates another effect, suggesting altered functioning for the allele.

ITS2 sequence analysis and identification of medicinal Artemisia plants / 中国中药杂志

Artemisia hedinii occupies an important position in the Tibetan medicine. Plants in Artemisia vary a lot and are widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, many plants in Artemisia look similar, making traditional identification methods laborious. In this article, ITS2 sequences were used as DNA barcoding to identify four kinds of confusable Tibetan medicine plants in Artemisia, aiming to establish a rapid and accurate identification methods. Twenty-one samples in Artemisia were collected from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, ITS2 sequence PCR amplification and sequencing were conducted after the extraction of DNA. Another 11 sequence downloaded from Genbank were added to the analysis. Genetic distance calculation and analysis, building Neighbor Joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree were conducted by MEGA 6.0, also comparison of secondary structures of ITS2 sequences among samples. A. hedinii, A. annua, A. dubia and A. argyi shared close genetic distance, but the maximum distance between the four species was much greater than the minimum distance within each species, NJ tree showed that the four species went to four separate branches, differences among secondary structures of ITS2 sequences also made it clear to identify these medical plants. It could be an accurate and rapid method for identification and recognition, as well as the evolutionary relationships between the species by using ITS2 sequence as DNA barcode for plants of Tibetan Artemisia. The study provides theoretical basis for quality control, medication safety and rational exploitation.

Study on exosite inhibitor of cathepsin K from Herba Ecliptae fractions / 药学学报

Cathepsin K (CTSK) is considered a critical pharmaceutical target in the treatment of osteoporosis. CTSK exerts proteolytic activities against regulatory proteins besides its collagenase function, which may account for some of the adverse reactions when blocked by active site-directed inhibitors. Exosite inhibitors that can discriminate between the therapeutic collagenase and other biological activities of CTSK specifically inhibit the collagenase activity of CTSK without interfering with the other proteolytic activities of the protease. Active recombinant CTSK was expressed in Pichia pastoris, and purified by n-butyl sepharose and SP sepharose column chromatography. Herba Ecliptae is a common traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of bone diseases. Collagenase assay and benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-FR-MCA) substrate assay based on CTSK are applied to verify the exosite inhibitors. n-Butanol extract of Herba Ecliptae are the most active fraction and eclalbasaponin IX isolated from n-butanol fraction is the potential exosite inhibitor of CTSK.

Application of Nvivo software in qualitative nursing research：a bibliometric analysis / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To explore the application status of Nvivo software in qualitative nursing research and compare the difference between overseas and domestic publications. Methods Six databases were searched and finally 159 qualitative nursing articles were analyzed, the information such as year, region, institution, literature source, impact factor, fund support, theme, theory attachment, analytical approach, data collection approach, function utility were used to included. From inception to January 31, 2016. Results It was found that up to 21%(21/100)publications were from Australia, and up to 18.64%(11/59)publications were from Shanghai in the past 15 years. Responsible institutions were mainly college and hospital. 54.24% of these domestic papers had no fund support, and 78 % of these overseas papers had no fund support. Themes of overseas papers were more various than those of domestic. The utility of Nvivo software overseas proved to be more systematic and deeper. Conclusions The quantity and quality of relevant publications increase dramatically in China in recent years, nevertheless, wider and deeper usage of Nvivo function should be explored deeply. Qualitative nursing researchers should take advantage of benefits of Nvivo, build a holistic view and generalize its comprehensive application.