[Effects of Biochar on Growth and Pollutant Accumulation of Lettuce in Soil Co-contaminated with Tetracycline and Copper].

Through lettuce potting experiments, the effects of different types of biochar (apple branch, corn straw, and modified sorghum straw biochar with phosphoric acid modification) on lettuce growth under tetracycline (TC) and copper (Cu) co-pollution were investigated. The results showed that compared with those under CK, the addition of biochar treatment significantly increased the plant height, root length, shoot fresh weight, and root fresh weight of lettuce (P < 0.05). The addition of different biochars significantly increased the nitrate nitrogen, chlorophyll, and soluble protein content in lettuce physiological indicators to varying degrees, while also significantly decreasing the levels of malondialdehyde, proline content, and catalase activity. The effects of biochar on lettuce physiological indicators were consistent during both the seedling and mature stages. Compared with those in CK, the addition of biochar resulted in varying degrees of reduction in the TC and Cu contents of both the aboveground and underground parts of lettuce. The aboveground TC and Cu levels decreased by 2.49%-92.32% and 12.79%-36.47%, respectively. The underground TC and Cu levels decreased by 12.53%-55.64% and 22.41%-42.29%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that nitrate nitrogen, chlorophyll, and soluble protein content of lettuce were negatively correlated with TC content, whereas malondialdehyde, proline content, and catalase activity were positively correlated with TC content. The resistance genes of lettuce were positively correlated with TC content (P < 0.05). In general, modified biochar was found to be more effective in improving lettuce growth quality and reducing pollutant accumulation compared to unmodified biochar, with modified sorghum straw biochar showing the best remediation effect.

Xianglian Pill combined with 5-fluorouracil enhances antitumor activity and reduces gastrointestinal toxicity in gastric cancer by regulating the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Perioperative or postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy based on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a common first-line adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer (GC). However, drug resistance and the side effects of 5-FU have reduced its efficacy. Among these side effects, gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity is one of the most common. Xianglian Pill (XLP) is a Chinese patent medicine that is commonly used for the treatment of diarrhoea. It can reduce inflammation and has a protective effect on the intestinal mucosa. Recent studies have shown that many components of XLP can inhibite tumor cell growth. However, the therapeutic effect of XLP in combination with 5-FU on GC is unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate whether the combination of XLP and 5-FU can enhance anti-GC activity while reducing GI toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: XLP was administered orally during intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU in GC mice model. Mice were continuously monitored for diarrhea and xenograft tumor growth. After 2 weeks, the mice were sacrificed and serum was collected to determine interleukin-6 levels. Pathological changes, the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in GI tissue were determined by Western blot analysis. Pathological changes, apoptosis levels and p38 MAPK expression levels in xenograft tissues were also determined. RESULTS: The results showed that XLP could alleviate GI mucosal injury caused by 5-FU, alleviated diarrhea, and inhibited the expression of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and myeloid differentiation primary response-88. Besides, XLP could promote the 5-FU-induced apoptosis of GC cells and enhance the inhibitory effect of 5-FU on tumor xenografts. Further study showed that XLP administration could regulate the expression of p38 MAPK. CONCLUSIONS: XLP in combination with 5-FU could alleviate its GI side effects and enhance its inhibitory effect on xenograft tumor. Moreover, these effects were found to be related to the regulation of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

A randomized double-blind clinical trial: Comparison of oclacitinib with a traditional Chinese herbal medicine product (Dihuang Guiqin capsule) in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis.

Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, which seriously affects the quality of life for both dogs and their owners. Currently, the common therapeutic drugs in the clinic have disadvantages such as obvious adverse effects and high prices. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) has great potential for the treatment of cAD. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of different doses of the TCHM product (Dihuang Guiqin capsule) and oclacitinib in the treatment of cAD through a randomized, double-blind trial. Sixty dogs diagnosed with AD were randomly and evenly divided into four groups (n = 15). The TCHM treatment group consisted of three subgroups that received three different oral doses (20, 40, and 60 mg/kg BW), while the control group received 0.5 mg/kg BW of oclacitinib. Each group was administered twice daily for 14 consecutive days. The results showed that both TCHM and oclacitinib significantly improved cAD-induced itching (evaluated by pVAS) and skin lesions (evaluated by CADESI-04), while interleukin 31 (IL-31) concentrations decreased significantly (P < 0.05) and serum biochemical indicators returned to normal. In particular, The therapeutic effects of TCHM medium- and high-dose groups were similar to those of oclacitinib (P > 0.05). The preliminary recommended dose of Dihuang Guiqin capsule for the treatment of cAD has been determined to be 40-60 mg/kg BW twice daily for 14 consecutive days, which can be reduced to once daily as appropriate. Dihuang Guiqin capsule was safe and well tolerated, which may be a new option for the treatment of cAD.

Long-distance control of potato storage organ formation by SELF PRUNING 3D and FLOWERING LOCUS T-like 1.

Plants program their meristem-associated developmental switches for timely adaptation to a changing environment. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers differentiate from specialized belowground branches or stolons through radial expansion of their terminal ends. During this process, the stolon apex and closest axillary buds enter a dormancy state that leads to tuber eyes, which are reactivated the following spring and generate a clonally identical plant. The potato FLOWERING LOCUS T homolog SELF-PRUNING 6A (StSP6A) was previously identified as the major tuber-inducing signal that integrates day-length cues to control the storage switch. However, whether some other long-range signals also act as tuber organogenesis stimuli remains unknown. Here, we show that the florigen SELF PRUNING 3D (StSP3D) and FLOWERING LOCUS T-like 1 (StFTL1) genes are activated by short days, analogously to StSP6A. Overexpression of StSP3D or StFTL1 promotes tuber formation under non-inductive long days, and the tuber-inducing activity of these proteins is graft transmissible. Using the non-tuber-bearing wild species Solanum etuberosum, a natural SP6A null mutant, we show that leaf-expressed SP6A is dispensable for StSP3D long-range activity. StSP3D and StFTL1 mediate secondary activation of StSP6A in stolon tips, leading to amplification of this tuberigen signal. StSP3D and StFTL1 were observed to bind the same protein partners as StSP6A, suggesting that they can also form transcriptionally active complexes. Together, our findings show that additional mobile tuber-inducing signals are regulated by the photoperiodic pathway.

Isorhamnetin: A Novel Natural Product Beneficial for Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become a severe threat to human beings with increasing morbidity and mortality. Isorhamnetin (Iso) shows multiple bioactivities, especially in the cardiovascular system. A literature retrieval strategy was conducted in databases of PubMed, GeenMedical, Sci-Hub, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Baidu Scholar, with keywords defined as: "Isorhamnetin", "cardiovascular diseases", "pharmacological effects", "phytochemistry", "pharmacokinetics", "clinical application" and "toxicity". The language is restricted to Chinese and English, and publish date ranges from January, 2011 to September, 2021. So far, Iso has been isolated and identified from several natural medicines, including Hippophae rhamnoides L., Ginkgo biloba L. and Typha angustifolia L., etc. The effects of Iso on CVD are pharmacological, including anti-atherosclerosis, reducing blood fat, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, endothelial protection, antithrombosis, antiplatelet aggregation, myocardial protection, and anti-hypertension. Iso could inhibit the activities of CYPs in liver microsomes and suppress hepatocyte injury in vitro. However, no toxicity was observed in vivo. Taken together, Iso has a wide range of positive effects on CVD with safe and multiple pharmacological activities on the cardiovascular system and may be an ideal candidate drug for the prevention and treatment of CVD. Therefore, further studies, especially on its clinic use, need to be conducted. The present review summarizes the recent progress in phytochemistry, pharmacology, and mechanisms of action and provides a reference for future studies on Iso.

Microcomb-driven silicon photonic systems.

Microcombs have sparked a surge of applications over the past decade, ranging from optical communications to metrology1-4. Despite their diverse deployment, most microcomb-based systems rely on a large amount of bulky elements and equipment to fulfil their desired functions, which is complicated, expensive and power consuming. By contrast, foundry-based silicon photonics (SiPh) has had remarkable success in providing versatile functionality in a scalable and low-cost manner5-7, but its available chip-based light sources lack the capacity for parallelization, which limits the scope of SiPh applications. Here we combine these two technologies by using a power-efficient and operationally simple aluminium-gallium-arsenide-on-insulator microcomb source to drive complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor SiPh engines. We present two important chip-scale photonic systems for optical data transmission and microwave photonics, respectively. A microcomb-based integrated photonic data link is demonstrated, based on a pulse-amplitude four-level modulation scheme with a two-terabit-per-second aggregate rate, and a highly reconfigurable microwave photonic filter with a high level of integration is constructed using a time-stretch approach. Such synergy of a microcomb and SiPh integrated components is an essential step towards the next generation of fully integrated photonic systems.

Rhein activated Fas-induced apoptosis pathway causing cardiotoxicity in vitro and in vivo.

Rhein, one of the main active components of rhubarb (Dahuang) and Polygonum multiflorum (Heshouwu), has a wide range of effective pharmacological effects. Recently, increasing studies have focused on its potential hepatorenal toxicity, but the cardiotoxicity is unknown. In this study, we found that the IC50 of rhein to H9c2 cells at 24 h and 48 h were 94.5 and 45.9µmol/L, respectively, with positive correlation of dose-toxicity and time-toxicity. After the treatment of rhein (106, 124 and 132µmol/L), the number of H9c2 cells decreased significantly, and the morphology of H9c2 cells showed atrophy, round shape and wall detachment. Moreover, the proportion of apoptotic cells in H9c2 cells treated with rhein was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. And rhein induced S phase arrest of H9c2 cells and inhibited cell proliferation. Rhein up-regulated ROS, LDH levels and low MMP but down-regulated SOD content in H9c2 cells. Additionally, the results showed that the cardiac function LVEF and LVFS of rhein high-medium-low dose groups (350, 175, 87.5 mg/kg) were significantly reduced. And the contents of Ca2+, cTnT, CK and LDH in serum of KM mice were significantly up-regulated by rhein. Furthermore, western blot results suggested that rhein the above effects via promoting Fas-induced apoptosis pathway in vitro and in vivo. In general, rhein may cause cardiotoxicity via Fas-induced apoptosis pathway in vivo and in vitro, which provides reference for the safe use of medicinal plant containing rhein and its preparations.

Transcription factor StABI5-like 1 binding to the FLOWERING LOCUS T homologs promotes early maturity in potato.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) maturity involves several important traits, including the onset of tuberization, flowering, leaf senescence, and the length of the plant life cycle. The timing of flowering and tuberization in potato is mediated by seasonal fluctuations in photoperiod and is thought to be separately controlled by the FLOWERING LOCUS T-like (FT-like) genes SELF-PRUNING 3D (StSP3D) and SELF-PRUNING 6A (StSP6A). However, the biological relationship between these morphological transitions that occur almost synchronously remains unknown. Here, we show that StABI5-like 1 (StABL1), a transcription factor central to abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, is a binding partner of StSP3D and StSP6A, forming an alternative florigen activation complex and alternative tuberigen activation complex in a 14-3-3-dependent manner. Overexpression of StABL1 results in the early initiation of flowering and tuberization as well as a short life cycle. Using genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA-sequencing, we demonstrate that AGAMOUS-like and GA 2-oxidase 1 genes are regulated by StABL1. Phytohormone profiling indicates an altered gibberellic acid (GA) metabolism and that StABL1-overexpressing plants are insensitive to the inhibitory effect of GA with respect to tuberization. Collectively, our results suggest that StABL1 functions with FT-like genes to promote flowering and tuberization and consequently life cycle length in potato, providing insight into the pleiotropic functioning of the FT gene.

Modulation of JA signalling reveals the influence of StJAZ1-like on tuber initiation and tuber bulking in potato.

Phytohormones and their interactions play critical roles in Solanum tuberosum (potato) tuberization. The stimulatory role of jasmonic acid (JA) in tuber development is well established because of its significant promotion of tuber initiation and tuber bulking. However, the dynamics and potential function of JA signalling in potato tuberization remain largely unknown. The present study investigated the role of the JAZ1 subtype, a suppressor of JA signalling, in potato tuberization. Using 35S:StJAZ1-like-GUS as a reporter, we showed that JA signalling was attenuated from the bud end to the stem end shortly after tuber initiation. Overexpression of StJAZ1-like suppressed tuber initiation by restricting the competence for tuber formation in stolon tips, as demonstrated by grafting an untransformed potato cultivar to the stock of StJAZ1-like-overexpressing transgenic potato plants (StJAZ1-like ox). In addition, transcriptional profiling analysis revealed that StJAZ1-like modulates the expression of genes associated with transcriptional regulators, cell cycle, cytoskeleton and phytohormones. Furthermore, we showed that StJAZ1-like is destabilised upon treatment with abcisic acid (ABA), and the attenuated tuberization phenotype in StJAZ1-like ox plants can be partially rescued by ABA treatment. Altogether, these results revealed that StJAZ1-like-mediated JA signalling plays an essential role in potato tuberization.

Chai Hu oral liquid enhances the immune functions of both spleen and bursa of Fabricius in heat-stressed broilers through strengthening TLR4-TBK1 signaling pathway.

Heat stress can affect the poultry production and immune status of broilers. Heat stress disrupts intestinal integrity and increases intestinal inflammation, which is related with body immune dysfunction. Chai Hu oral liquid used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drug is widely used in exogenous fever of poultry, but its resistance to heat stress and the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, a chronic heat stressed broilers model was established to explore the mechanisms of broilers' immune function changes and the effects of Chai Hu oral liquid. In this study, a total of 480 broilers were randomly divided into 6 groups with 80 replicates. Heat stress (HS) group broilers were stressed at 35 ± 2°C for 5 or 10 consecutive d with 6 h/d. Heat stressed (for 5 or 10 d) broilers were given with Jieshu KangreSan (Positive), Chai Hu oral liquid high, middle and low dosage (CH-High, CH-Mid, CH-Low) by oral administration. Birds in control group were treated with the same volume of PBS only in 25 ± 2°C. All birds were sacrificed at last heat stress challenged day. Changes in immune function were assessed by immune organs index, serum IFN-γ level, gene and protein expressions of immune factors in spleen and bursa of Fabricius. Results from this experiment showed that heat stress enhanced the immune organs' edema by directly increased the organs indexes of spleen and bursa of Fabricius in broilers. Heat stress for 10 d also increased bursa of Fabricius HSP70 protein level and significantly lowered the spleen and bursa of Fabricius proteins expressions of IFN-α, IFN-ß, and IFN-γ in broilers. The IFN-ß and IFN-γ protein levels in spleen and bursa of Fabricius also decreased in heat stressed broilers for 5 d. The gene and protein expressions of TLR4 and TBK1 markedly decreased in spleen and bursa of Fabricius of broilers treated with chronic heat stress. Chai Hu oral liquid reduced edema of immune organs and elevated TLR4-TBK1 signaling pathway to release immune factors. Above results indicated that chronic heat stress induced impaired immune function by inhibiting TLR4-TBK1 signaling pathway, and Chai Hu oral liquid had effective protection of body's immune ability by enhancing this signaling pathway.

Effect of Mashao Pingchuan Decoction on Traditional Chinese Medicine Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Cold Asthma of Bronchial Asthma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of Mashao Pingchuan decoction on traditional Chinese medicine <bold>（</bold>TCM<bold>）</bold> symptoms， quality of life， peripheral blood eosinophils （Eos） and serum inflammatory factors interleukin-6 （IL-6） and interleukin-8 （IL-8） in patients with cold asthma syndrome of bronchial asthma. Method:A total of 67 patients with cold asthma who attended the Respiratory Clinic of Anhui Provincial Hospital of TCM from January 2018 to December 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group. The control group was given basic treatments such as budesonide formoterol powder inhalation， and the observation group was given Mashao Pingchuan decoction on the basis of the control group. Both groups intervened for 7 consecutive days. Observe and record the general condition， TCM symptom score， asthma control questionnaire （ACQ）-7 score， Marks-asthma quality of life questionnaire （Marks-AQLQ） score of the two groups of asthma patients， the peripheral blood Eos count was measured by hematology analyzer， and the serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels of the subjects were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Result:The total effective rate of TCM symptoms in the two groups was 100%（30/30）， and the effect in the observation group was more obvious （<italic>Z</italic>=-2.169，<italic>P</italic><0.05<italic>）</italic>. After treatment， the scores of TCM symptoms in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The scores of phlegm in the throat， expectoration， cough， and chills in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After treatment， the ACQ-7 scores and Marks-AQLQ scores of the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference between the observation group and the ACQ-7 scores and Marks-AQLQ scores. After treatment， the peripheral blood Eos counts and serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels in the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Peripheral blood Eos count and serum IL-6 and IL-8 contents in observation group were lower than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Mashao Pingchuan decoction combined with budesonide formoterol powder inhalation can effectively improve the clinical effectiveness of asthma （cold asthma）， improve the symptoms of asthma in TCM， ACQ-7 score， Marks-AQLQ score， peripheral blood Eos count， serum inflammatory factor content.

The Active Ingredients Identification and Antidiarrheal Mechanism Analysis of Plantago asiatica L. Superfine Powder.

Plantago asiatica L. is a natural medicinal plant that has been widely used for its various pharmacological effects such as antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing. This study aims to explore the antidiarrheal active ingredients of Plantago asiatica L. that can be used as quality markers to evaluate P. asiatica L. superfine powder (PSP). Molecular docking experiment was performed to identify the effective components of P. asiatica L., which were further evaluated by an established mouse diarrhea model. Na+/K+-ATPase and creatine kinase (CK) activities and the Na+/K+ concentrations were determined. The gene expression of ckb and Atp1b3 was detected. PSP was prepared and evaluated in terms of the tap density and the angle of repose. The structures of PSPs of different sizes were measured by infrared spectra. The active ingredient contents of PSPs were determined by HPLC. The results indicated that the main antidiarrheal components of P. asiatica L. were luteolin and scutellarein that could increase the concentration of Na+ and K+ by upregulating the activity and gene level of CK and Na+/K+-ATPase. In addition, luteolin and scutellarein could also decrease the volume and weight of small intestinal contents to exert antidiarrheal activity. Moreover, as the PSP size decreased from 6.66 to 3.55 µm, the powder tended to be amorphous and homogenized and of good fluidity, the content of active compounds gradually increased, and the main structure of the molecule remained steady. The optimum particle size of PSP with the highest content of active components was 3.55 µm, and the lowest effective dose for antidiarrhea was 2,000 mg/kg. Therefore, the antidiarrheal active ingredients of PSP were identified as luteolin and scutellarein that exert antidiarrheal activity by binding with Na+/K+-ATPase. PSP was successfully prepared and could be used as a new dosage form for the diarrhea treatment.

[Identification of Chrysanthemum indicum in different geographical populations and Ch. morifolium based on DNA barcodes of psbA-trnH,matK and trnL].

DNA barcode technology was used to establish a rapid identification method of Chrysanthemum indicum and Ch. morifolium based on psbA-trn H,mat K and trn L sequences. The total DNA was extracted from 21 samples collected,and the psbA-trn H,mat K,trn L sequences were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The information of these sequences were obtained. We aligned all 63 sequences,calculated the intraspecific and interspecific distances,analysed the SNPs distribution of psbA-trn H+mat K+trn L combination sequences and constructed the Neighbor-joining( NJ) Tree,using MEGA 7. 0. The results showed that the genetic distances of Ch. indicum,Ch. indicum( Juhuanao)and Ch. morifolium were overlapped. The SNPs analysis of psbA-trn H+mat K+trn L combination sequences showed that there were 19 nucleotide polymorphism loci( SNPs) and nine parsim-informative sites in the combination sequences. In addition,Ch. indicum showed more obvious sequence polymorphism than those of Ch. indicum( Juhuanao) and Ch. morifolium. The psbA-trn H sequences showed obvious length variation.The NJ Tree showed that Ch. morifolium numbered C2-C5 were clustered into a single subbranch with a bootstrap value of 62%,and Ch.morifolium could be distinguished from Ch. indicum and Ch. indicum( Juhuanao). Moreover,Ch. indicum numbered Z9 and Z10 collected from Gansu province were singly clustered into one branch with a bootstrap value of 77%. It was also found that the changes of psbA-trn H and trn L sequences information of Ch. indicum samples from the northwest were obviously related to the geography and environment. Moreover,Ch.indicum and Ch. indicum( Juhuanao) had obvious differentiation,were also regarded as the evolutionary sources of Ch. morifolium. Therefore,psbA-trn H+mat K+trn L combination sequences as DNA barcode can identify Ch. indicum and Ch. morifolium accurately and rapidly,which provides an important basis for germplasm resources identification and species identification.

Research on Treatment of Chronic Cough Based on Cluster Analysis and Factor Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To summarize medication law of prescription and clinical experience on the treatment of chronic cough through data mining technology. Method:The formula information of 650 cases of chronic cough cases diagnosed and treated by professor HAN Ming-xiang was processed with data mining technology, and system cluster analysis and factor analysis were conducted by SPSS Statistics 22.0. Result:High-frequency medicines of professor HAN Ming-xiang for treating chronic cough were Stemonae Radix, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Asteris Radix et Rhizoma and other 37 herbs, their frequency of occurrence accounted for 80.52%. According to the efficacy, the medicines could be classified into 10 categories, such as expectorant cough antiasthmatic drugs, tonifying deficiency drugs, and diaphoretic drugs. Cluster analysis showed 5 combinations of drugs. Factor analysis yielded 13 common factors, such as Stemonae Radix-Asteris Radix et Rhizoma-Farfarae Flos-Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma et Radix, Asari Radix et Rhizoma-Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus-Zingiberis Rhizoma-Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus. Conclusion:Combined with clinical experience, it can be concluded that clinical treatment of professor HAN Ming-xiang for chronic cough attaches great importance to the pathogenesis of wind-evil, Yang deficiency and cold phlegm underlying lung, phlegm and blood stasis and Qi stagnation. The treatment mainly starts from the lung and spleen, with the method of warm and moist, or with some traditional Chinese medicines with the function of removing phlegm by warming the lung, dispersing cold by thinning the surface, strengthening the spleen and resolving phlegm, strengthening the lung and fixing the surface, and relieving spasmolysis by wind.

C21-steroidal glycosides and sesquiterpenes from the roots of Cynanchum bungei and their inhibitory activities against the proliferation of B and T lymphocytes.

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Cynanchum bungei Decne (Asclepiadaceae) led to the elucidation of seven C21-steroidal glycosides (1-7) including three new compounds (1-3), named cynabungosides A-C, one new eudesmane-type sesquiterpene (8), named cynabungone, and one new humulane-type sesquiterpene (9), named cynabungolide. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of 8 and 9 were defined unequivocally by ECD analysis and X-ray crystallography, respectively. A putative biosynthetic pathway of humulane-type sesquiterpenes 9 and 10 is proposed.

Hydrogen Evolution Activity of Ruthenium Phosphides Encapsulated in Nitrogen- and Phosphorous-Codoped Hollow Carbon Nanospheres.

RuPx nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated in uniform N,P-codoped hollow carbon nanospheres (RuPx @NPC) have been synthesized through a facile route in which aniline-pyrrole copolymer nanospheres are used to disperse Ru ions followed by a gas phosphorization process. The as-prepared RuPx @NPC exhibits a uniform core-shell hollow nanospherical structure with RuPx NPs as the core and N,P-codoped carbon (NPC) as the shell. This strategy integrates many advantages of hollow nanostructures, which provide a conductive substrate and the doping of a nonmetal element. At high temperatures, the obtained thin NPC shell can not only protect the highly active phase of RuPx NPs from aggregation and corrosion in the electrolyte but also allows variation in the electronic structures to improve the charge-transfer rate greatly by N,P codoping. The optimized RuPx @NPC sample at 900 °C exhibits a Pt-like performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and long-term durability in acidic, alkaline, and neutral solutions. The reaction requires a small overpotential of only 51, 74, and 110 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in 0.5 m H2 SO4 , 1.0 m KOH, and 1.0 m phosphate-buffered saline, respectively. This work provides a new way to design unique phosphide-doped carbon heterostructures through an inorganic-organic hybrid method as excellent electrocatalysts for HER.

Plumbagin suppresses the migration and invasion of glioma cells via downregulation of MMP-2/9 expression and inaction of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in vitro.

Plumbagin is a natural naphthoquinone constituent isolated from the roots of medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica L., and has demonstrated anti-proliferative and anti-invasion activities in various cancer cells. However, its effect on the migration and invasion of glioma cells has not been elucidated. Therefore, human glioma U87 and U251 cells were treated with plumbagin at 1.0 and 2.0 µM for 24 h, and cell migration and invasion were assessed with scratch wound healing and invasion assays. The results showed that plumbagin significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells, suppressed the activity and expression of MMP-2/-9, and inhibited the nuclear translocation of transcription factors Sp1 in the U87 and U251 cells. Moreover, plumbagin reduced the level of p-PI3K and p-Akt in these cells. The combined treatment with plumbagin and PI3K/Akt agonist insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) reversed plumbagin-mediated inhibitory effects on MMP-2/-9 expression, cell migration and invasion. These findings suggest that the plumbagin-induced inhibition of glioma cell migration and invasion is closely associated with the downregulation of MMP-2/-9 expression and activity, and suppression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. Thus, plumbagin might be a potential anti-invasive agent in the treatment of glioma.

Clinical efficacy and safety of the Shugan Jieyu capsule in patients with acute myocardial infarction and depression.

Objective The aim is to comparatively study Shugan Jieyu capsule and sertraline for non-inferiority in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction and depression (observing the curative effects and safety) by the randomized controlled experiment. Methods A total of 149 patients with acute myocardial infarction and depression were randomly divided into two groups, the Shugan Jieyu group (76 cases) and the sertraline group (73 cases), and received treatments for 24 weeks. Depression states were assessed by the rote diagnostic checklist, and effects were evaluated by the Hamilton depression scale. Drug safety for heart was assessed by left ventricular ejection fraction (reduced by 5%), blood pressure, heart rate, P-wave and R wave interval, Q-R-S complex wave, and corrected Q-T interval after 12 weeks of treatment. Results There were no significant differences in the effective rates of Shugan Jieyu and sertraline groups. Significantly lower adverse event rate was observed in the Shugan Jieyu group. Two groups had a similar cardiac safety. Conclusion Shugan Jieyu capsule has a reliable effect and high safety in patients with acute myocardial infarction and depression.

Synthesis, in silico and in vivo blood brain barrier permeability of ginkgolide B cinnamate.

Ginkgolide B, one of the important components of Ginkgo biloba extracts, has been revealed to exhibit great potential in therapy of cerebrovascular diseases. However the lack of permeability greatly limited it from further clinical application. Based on the prediction model for blood brain barrier (BBB) permeation, herein a potential brain-targeting analog ginkgolide B cinnamate (GBC) was successfully synthesized and characterized. After intravenous administration of GBC or GB, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was conducted to determine the analog in rat plasma and brain. The results showed that GBC had a significant increase in BBB permeability. A significant 1.61-times increase in half-life was observed for GBC and the drug targeting index (DTI) value was calculated to be 9.91. The experiment results matched well with the predicted one, which revealed that BBB permeability prediction model combined with in vivo study could be used as a quick, feasible and efficient tool for brain-targeting drug design.

Angelica sinensis and osteoarthritis: a natural therapeutic link?

The dried root of Angelica sinensis is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine for its beneficial effects against several diseases, including osteoarthritis. In order to understand the mechanism of action, two main components of the plant, the phytochemical, sodium ferulate, and a polysaccharidic fraction have been tested on osteoarthritis animal models or in human chondrocytes stimulated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine, Interleukine-1ß. The results showed that sodium ferulate exhibited marked anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties by inhibiting the TNF/TNFR signal transduction pathway. On the other hand, the polysaccharidic fraction which contains a mixture of various carbohydrates was found to promote proteoglycan biosynthesis in cartilage matrix by stimulating the activity of the UDP-glycosyltransferases that synthesize the chondroitin sulfate chains of aggrecans. It is suggested that the combined action of sodium ferulate and polysaccharidic fraction would prevent cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis and favor cartilage repair.