A dual network cross-linked hydrogel with multifunctional Bletilla striata polysaccharide/gelatin/tea polyphenol for wound healing promotion.

Wound healing is a dynamic and complex biological process, and traditional biological excipients cannot meet the needs of the wound healing process, and there is an urgent need for a biological dressing with multifunctionality and the ability to participate in all stages of wound healing. This study developed tea polyphenol (TP) incorporated multifunctional hydrogel based on oxidized Bletilla striata polysaccharide (OBSP) and adipic acid dihydrazide modified gelatin (Gel-ADH) with antimicrobial, antioxidant hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory properties to promote wound healing. The composite OBSP, Gel-ADH, TP (OBGTP) hydrogels prepared by double crosslinking between OBSP, TP and Gel-ADH via Schiff base bonding and hydrogen bonding had good rheological and swelling properties. The introduction of TP provided the composite hydrogel with excellent antioxidant antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coil). In the rat liver hemorrhage model and skin injury model, the OBGTP composite hydrogel had significant (p < 0.001) hemostatic ability, and had the ability to accelerate collagen deposition, reduce the expression of inflammatory factors, and promote rapid wound healing. In addition, OBGTP hydrogels had adhesive properties and good biocompatibility. In conclusion, OBGTP multifunctional composite hydrogels have great potential for wound healing applications.

Mechanisms of Actinidia chinensis Planch in treating colon cancer based on the integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification.

BACKGROUND: As an anticancer Chinese herbal medicine, the effective components and mechanism of Actinidia chinensis Planch (ACP, Tengligen) in the treatment of colon cancer are still unclear. In the present study, the integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cell experiments was employed to study the effective mechanism of ACP against colon cancer. METHODS: The Venn diagram and STRING database were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network (PPI) of ACP-colon cancer, and further topological analysis was used to obtain the key target genes of ACP in colon cancer. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were used to visualize the related functions and pathways. Molecular docking between key targets and compounds was determined using software such as AutoDockTools. Finally, the effect of ACP on CT26 cells was observed in vitro. RESULTS: The study identified 40 ACP-colon key targets, including CASP3, CDK2, GSK3B, and PIK3R1. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses found that these genes were involved in 211 biological processes and 92 pathways, among which pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt, p53, and cell cycle might be the main pathways of ACP against colon cancer. Molecular docking verified that the key components of ACP could stably bind to the corresponding targets. The experimental results showed that ACP could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and downregulate the phosphorylation of PIK3R1, Akt, and GSK3B in CT26 cells. CONCLUSION: ACP is an anti-colon cancer herb with multiple components, and involvement of multiple target genes and signaling pathways. ACP can significantly inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of colon cancer cells, which may be closely related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT/GSK3B signal transduction.

A study on the delayed effect of tilapia skin collagen on skin aging for mice and its possible mechanism.

OBJECTIVE: Study the possible mechanism and delayed effect of tilapia skin collagen on skin aging for mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Kunming (KM) mice were randomly divided into the aging model group, the normal group, the positive control group (vitamin E) and the low, medium, high dose tilapia skin collagen groups (2.0, 4.0, 8.0 mg/g). The normal group was only injected with saline at the back and the neck. The other groups were injected subcutaneously with 5% D-galactose and ultraviolet light jointly to establish the aging model. After modeling, the positive control group was treated with a dose of 10% vitamin E once a day, and the low, medium, high dose tilapia skin collagen group was separately applied 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 mg/g of tilapia skin collagen for 40 days. The changes of skin tissue morphology, water content, hydroxyproline (Hyp) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in mice were studied at the day 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the skin of mice in the aging model group was thinner, looser, and the skin moisture content, Hyp content, SOD activity were all decreased. For mice of the low, medium, high dose tilapia skin collagen group, the thickness of dermis increased, possessing close arrangement, and the moisture content, Hyp content, SOD activity were up-regulated significantly, which effectively alleviated the aging process of skin. The dose of tilapia skin collagen was directly proportional to the anti-aging effect. CONCLUSIONS: Tilapia skin collagen has an obvious effect on improving skin aging.

Tenuifolin in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes: Investigation of the mechanisms from the perspectives of calpain system, ferroptosis, and apoptosis.

Polygala tenuifolia was documented to calm the mind and promote wisdom. However, its underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of tenuifolin (Ten) on Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like phenotypes. We first applied bioinformatics methods to screen the mechanisms of P. tenuifolia in the treatment of AD. Thereafter, the d-galactose combined with Aß1-42 (GCA) was applied to model AD-like behaviors and investigate the action mechanisms of Ten, one active component of P. tenuifolia. The data showed that P. tenuifolia actioned through multi-targets and multi-pathways, including regulation of synaptic plasticity, apoptosis, and calcium signaling, and so forth. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that Ten prevented intracellular calcium overload, abnormal calpain system, and down-regulation of BDNF/TrkB signaling induced by GCA. Moreover, Ten suppressed oxidative stress and ferroptosis in HT-22 cells induced by GCA. Calpeptin and ferroptosis inhibitor prevented the decrease of cell viability induced by GCA. Interestingly, calpeptin did not interrupt GCA-induced ferroptosis in HT-22 cells but blocked the apoptosis. Animal experiments further demonstrated that Ten prevented GCA-induced memory impairment in mice and increased synaptic protein expression while reducing m-calpain expression. Ten prevents AD-like phenotypes through multiple signaling by inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis, maintaining the stability of calpain system, and suppressing neuronal apoptosis.

Exploring the components and mechanism of Solanum nigrum L. for colon cancer treatment based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Background: Solanum nigrum L. (SNL) (Longkui) is a Chinese herb that can be used to treat colon cancer. The present study explored the components and mechanisms of SNL in treating colon cancer by using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods: The components of SNL were collected from the TCMSP, ETCM, HERB, and NPASS databases. Meanwhile, the target proteins of these ingredients were collected/predicted by the TCMSP, SEA, SwissTargetPrediction, and the STITCH databases colon cancer-related target genes were identified from TCGA and GTEx databases. The interaction networks were established via Cytoscape 3.7.2. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathways were enriched by using the David 6.8 online tool. Finally, the binding of key components and targets was verified by molecular docking, and the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) was used to detect the efficiency of apigenin and kaempferol binding to the AURKB protein in CT26 cells. Results: A total of 37 SNL components, 796 SNL targets, 5,356 colon cancer genes, and 241 shared targets of SNL and colon cancer were identified. A total of 43 key targets were obtained through topology analysis. These key targets are involved in multiple biological processes, such as signal transduction and response to drug and protein phosphorylation. At the same time, 104 signaling pathways, such as pathways in cancer, human cytomegalovirus infection, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, are also involved. The binding of the four key components (i.e., quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol, and luteolin) and the key targets was verified by molecular docking. The CETSA results showed that apigenin and kaempferol were able to bind to the AURKB protein to exert anti-CRC effects. Conclusions: Quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol, and luteolin are the main components of SNL in treating colon cancer. SNL regulates multiple bioprocesses via signaling pathways, such as pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt, and cell cycle signaling pathways.

Xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen): A review of its chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity.

Xanthotoxin (XAT) is a natural furanocoumarins, a bioactive psoralen isolated from the fruit of the Rutaceae plant Pepper, which has received increasing attention in recent years due to its wide source and low cost. By collecting and compiling literature on XAT, the results show that XAT exhibits significant activity in the treatment of various diseases, including neuroprotection, skin repair, osteoprotection, organ protection, anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidative stress and antibacterial. In this paper, we review the pharmacological activity and potential molecular mechanisms of XAT for the treatment of related diseases. The data suggest that XAT can mechanistically induce ROS production and promote apoptosis through mitochondrial or endoplasmic reticulum pathways, regulate NF-κB, MAPK, JAK/STAT, Nrf2/HO-1, MAPK, AKT/mTOR, and ERK1/2 signaling pathways to exert pharmacological effects. In addition, the pharmacokinetics properties and toxicity of XAT are discussed in this paper, further elucidating the relationship between structure and efficacy. It is worth noting that data from clinical studies of XAT are still scarce, limiting the use of XAT in the clinic, and in the future, more in-depth studies are needed to determine the clinical efficacy of XAT.

Signal pathways in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with traditional Chinese medicine.

AIM OF THE REVIEW: This study aimed to reveal the classical signal pathways and important potential targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), and provide support for further investigation on TCM and its active ingredients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature survey was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CNKI, and other databases, with "Alzheimer's disease," "traditional Chinese medicine," "medicinal herb," "Chinese herb," and "natural plant" as the primary keywords. RESULTS: TCM could modulate signal pathways related to AD pathological progression, including NF-κB, Nrf2, JAK/STAT, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, autophagy-lysosome pathway-related AMPK/mTOR, GSK-3/mTOR, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR, as well as SIRT1 and PPARα pathway. It could regulate crosstalk between pathways through a multitarget, thus maintaining chronic inflammatory interaction balance, inhibiting oxidative stress damage, regulating ubiquitin-proteasome system function, modulating autophagy, and eventually improving cognitive impairment in patients with AD. CONCLUSION: TCM could be multilevel, multitargeted, and multifaceted to prevent and treat AD. In-depth research on the prevention and treatment of AD with TCM could provide new ideas for exploring the pathogenesis of AD and developing new anti-AD drugs.

Anshen Dingzhi prescription in the treatment of PTSD in mice: Investigation of the underlying mechanism from the perspective of hippocampal synaptic function.

BACKGROUND: Anshen Dingzhi prescription (ADP) is an important prescription for the treatment of mental diseases in traditional Chinese medicine and is widely used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. PURPOSE: To explore the ameliorative effect of ADP on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like behaviors in mice and determine the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The constituents of ADP were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. The PTSD-like behaviors of mice subjected to single prolonged stress (SPS) were evaluated using behavioral tests. Potential pathological changes in the hippocampus were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were employed to detect the expression of proteins involved in relevant signaling pathways. RESULTS: Five quality control markers (ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, tenuifolin, poricoic acid B, and α-asarone) were detected in the ADP solution. The ginsenoside Rg1 content in ADP was found to be 0.114 mg/g. Mice subjected to SPS showed obvious fear generalization and anxiety-like behaviors. ADP treatment prevented the behavioral changes caused by exposure to SPS. Compared with control animals, the number of normal pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region of mice exposed to SPS was decreased and the number of degenerating pyramidal cells was increased; however, ADP administration could counteract these effects. Furthermore, the protein expression of BDNF, p-TrkB, µ-calpain, PSD95, GluN2A, GluA1, p-AKT, p-mTOR, and ARC was decreased, while that of PTEN and GluN2B was increased in the hippocampus of mice subjected to SPS compared with that in control animals; however, these changes in protein expression were reversed following ADP treatment. Importantly, the ameliorative effect of ADP on PTSD-like behaviors and synaptic protein expression were inhibited by rapamycin administration. CONCLUSIONS: ADP administration improves PTSD-like behaviors in mice and this effect may be mediated through an mTOR-dependent improvement in synaptic function in the hippocampus.

Chinese herbal medicines for mild cognitive impairment: A protocol for meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as a common neurodegenerative aging disease representing an intermediate stage between normal cognitive functioning and dementia, poses an excessive burden on health care. The clinical benefit of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) for MCI remains inconclusive. This study is aimed at evaluating the efficacy and acceptability of CHMs through meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA). METHODS: We applied extensive strategies on preliminary literature screening to identify relevant randomized controlled trials which meticulously compare any of CHMs interventions with placebo groups as monotherapy for MCI. The primary outcome of this study is the change of global cognitive function, and the secondary outcomes include assessments of activities of daily living, mood, and adverse events. Data synthesis, risk of bias assessment, sensitivity and subgroup analyses, and TSA will be conducted with application of Review Manager, Stata, and TSA software. The quality of the evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation instrument. INPLASY registration number: INPLASY202190006 (https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-9-0006/). RESULTS: This study will confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of CHMs when used in the treatment of patients with MCI. CONCLUSION: This study will provide reliable evidence and references for the selection of CHMs in therapy and future clinical research of MCI.

[Progress in application of Bletilla striata polysaccharide in novel drug delivery systems and biomaterials].

As the main active ingredient of the orchidaceous herb Bletilla striata, B. striata polysaccharide(BSP) has pharmacological activities such as promoting coagulation, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, promoting wound healing, anti-tumor, and immunomodulation, and is biodegradable and non-toxic. Additionally, it has the material properties of suspension thickening, film-forming adhesion, coating and solubilizing, targeting and slow releasing, effect-enhancing and toxicity-reducing, etc., playing the role of unification of medicines and excipients. Therefore, BSP has a wide application prospect in the fields of drug delivery system and trauma repair. This paper reviews the research progress of BSP application in new drug delivery systems and biomaterials based on the related li-terature in recent years, with the aim of providing reference for the further research and application of BSP.

Novel probiotic-bound oxidized Bletilla striata polysaccharide-chitosan composite hydrogel.

As a new strategy for wound management, probiotics are highly sensitive to the external environment during use. In this study, an attempt is made to apply oxidized Bletilla striata polysaccharide (OBSP) hydrogel as a delivery system to put up a physical barrier to probiotics. Bletilla striata, as a famous traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used for over 1500 years to promote wound healing. Firstly, probiotic-bound OBSP-Chitosan composite hydrogel (OBSP-CS-LP hydrogel) was prepared by a simple and environmentally friendly approach. Subsequently, the SEM image, swelling and rheological properties of the OBSP-CS-LP hydrogel were investigated. Notably, composite probiotics to wounds are an attractive novel intervention that significantly improves the antibacterial properties of the hydrogel and avoids the pitfalls of many antibiotic therapies. Furthermore, the full-thickness skin defect model in vivo indicated an outstanding wound healing efficacy. Therefore, OBSP-CS-LP hydrogel could be applied as a promising dressing in the wound healing.

A composite hydrogel loading natural polysaccharides derived from Periplaneta americana herbal residue for diabetic wound healing.

In view of the long medicinal use history of Periplaneta americana for manifold ulcer or skin wounds treatment, the comprehensive utilization value of P. americana herbal residue was evaluated. In this study, we isolated a polysaccharide fraction from P. americana herbal residue with the potential wound healing effect, named as PAP faction, based on our previous study and provided the structural and monosaccharide composition characterization. To improve the topical wound dressing property, a novel composite hydrogel consisting of PAP, carbomer 940 (CBM), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with different ratios were prepared and optimized. Mediated by the physical crosslinking effect among these polymers, the composite hydrogel exhibited good three-dimensional network structures, good swelling and water retention capacity, moderate mechanical property in rheological test. And then, the good cytocompatibility of hydrogel was corroborated by 3T3 fibroblast proliferation assay. Finally, the composite hydrogel loading PAP has been proved to accelerate wound healing in diabetic rat models, by promoting wound closure, collagen deposition, M2 macrophages polarization and angiogenesis. In summary, this study would provide an effective and promising wound dressing candidate for the prevention and treatment of diabetic wound, based on the ecological concept of the comprehensive utilization of natural herbal resources.

Uncovering the active compounds and effective mechanisms of the dried mature sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. Et Zucc. For the treatment of Alzheimer's disease through a network pharmacology approach.

BACKGROUND: Shanzhuyu (the dried mature sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., DMSCO) is a Chinese herb that can be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its mechanism remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the active ingredients and effective mechanisms of DMSCO for the treatment of AD based on a network pharmacology approach. METHODS: The active components of DMSCO were collected from the TCMSP and ETCM databases and the target proteins of these compounds were predicted using TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction and the STITCH database. The AD-related target proteins were identified from the OMIM, DisGeNet, GEO and GeneCards databases. The network interaction model of the compound-target-disease was established and was used to obtain the key targets of DMSCO on AD through network topology analysis. Subsequently, gene enrichment in Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathways were conducted using the David 6.8 online tool. RESULTS: A total of 30 DMSCO effective compounds and 209 effective drug targets were obtained. A total of 172 AD-related genes and 37 shared targets of DMSCO and AD were identified. A total of 43 key targets for the treatment of AD were obtained from the topological analysis of the DMSCO-AD target network. These key targets were involved in a variety of biological processes, including amyloid deposition, apoptosis, autophagy, inflammatory response and oxidative stress and pathways, such as the PI3K-AKT, MAPK and TNF pathways. Three key compounds, namely ursolic acid, anethole and ß-sitosterol were obtained from the analysis of the key targets. CONCLUSIONS: Ursolic acid, anethole and ß-sitosterol may be the main active components of DMSCO in the treatment of AD. DMSCO can treat AD by regulating amyloid deposition, apoptosis, autophagy, inflammatory response and oxidative stress via the PI3K-AKT, MAPK and other signaling pathways.

[Study on material basis of Açaí cold drug based on neuro-endocrine-immune network].

To investigate the characteristics of the cold and heat properties of each resolution component of Açaí and the material basis of cooling by observing the effect of resolution components, such as Açaí oil, alcohol extract and water extract, on the neurotransmitter, endocrine hormone and immune factor level in mice with deficiency-heat and deficiency-cold syndrome. KM male mice were randomly divided into 12 groups, namely blank group, deficiency-heat model group, deficiency-heat+Açaí group, deficiency-heat+Açaí oil group, deficiency-heat+Açaí alcohol extract group, deficiency-heat+Açaí water extract group, deficiency-cold model group, deficiency-cold+Cinnamomi Cortex group, deficiency-cold+Açaí group, deficiency-cold+Açaí oil group, deficiency-cold+Açaí alcohol extract group, and deficiency-cold+Açaí water extract group. The mice in deficiency-heat group were given with thyroid tablet solution(160 mg·kg~(-1)), and the mice in deficiency-cold group were given with hydrocortisone solution(25 mg·kg~(-1)) by intragastric administration every afternoon for 14 days. The mice in each administration group received corresponding drug. The neurotransmitter, endocrine hormone and immune factor levels in the mice were measured after the experiment. The Açaí alcohol extract, consistent with the Açaí powder, showed a regulatory effect on the deficiency-heat model mice; Açaí oil and its water extract were consistent with Cinna-momi Cortex, showing a regulatory effect on the deficiency-cold model mice. In this study, on the basis of proving that Açaí was was cool in property, it also revealed that alcohol extract of Açaí was cool while oil and water extract were warm in property based on the effect of Açaí on neuro-endocrine-immune network. The results suggested that the medicine property of Açaí was the result of the comprehensive action of the resolution components with different properties, and the alcohol extract of Açaí was proved as the material basis of Açaí cold medicine by using the methods of homogeneous comparison and heterogeneous disproval.

Inhibitory effects of schisantherin F from Schisandra propinqua subsp. sinensis on human melanoma A375 cells through ROS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

Schisandra propinqua subsp. sinensis is a traditional medicinal plant used in Chinese folk medicine. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. To discover bioactive phytochemicals for preventing human melanoma, we have investigated the inhibitory effects of schisantherin F in Schisandra propinqua subsp. sinensis on human melanoma A375 cells and relevant mechanisms. The results showed that schisantherin F can inhibit A375 cells through inducing apoptosis. Further investigations have demonstrated schisantherin F attenuated the overproduction of ROS, depolarization of MMP, and mPTP opening. Meanwhile, schisantherin F inhibited the activity of Caspase-3 and up-stream Caspase-9, down-regulated Bcl-2 and up-regulated Bax. These findings propose the inhibitory mechanisms of schisantherin F in A375 cells include induction of mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Persicaria orientalis (L.) Spach - A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Persicaria orientalis (L.) Spach (internationally accepted and only valid name; synonym: Polygonum orientale L.; family: Polygonaceae), which is named Hongcao in China, is a Chinese herbal medicine that has a wide range of pharmacological effects including treatment to rheumatoid arthritis, coronary heart disease, hernia, carbuncle sore, enhance immunity, antimicrobial, osteogenic and dilated bronchiectasis. AIM OF THIS REVIEW: This review aims to provide systematically organized information on traditional uses of Persicaria orientalis (L.) Spach (P. orientalis) and to critically analyze evidences in phytotherapeutic, botanical, and pharmacological literatures that support its therapeutic potential in treatment to human diseases. Isolation of additional compounds and detailed pharmacological investigations are key areas to investigate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant information on P. orientalis was collected through published scientific materials (including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, ACS, CNKI, Scifinder, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar) and other literature sources (e.g., Chinese Pharmacopoeia, 2015 edition, Chinese herbal classic books and PhD and MSc thesis, etc.). RESULTS: Traditional uses were compiled in this review, including classic prescriptions and historical applications. Approximately 70 compounds, mainly including flavonoids, phenolics, lignans, limonoids and steroids, have been isolated and identified from P. orientalis. Among them, flavonoids were main components. Crude extracts and pure compounds isolated from P. orientalis exhibited various pharmacological activities, such as protection against ischemia and hypoxia-induced myocardial cells and hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiomyocyte, increase the blood flow in myocardium, expanding bronchus, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and antithrombotic effects and so on. CONCLUSIONS: P. orientalis is a valuable source with therapeutic potential on a wide range of diseases especially cardiovascular-system disorders. Though most traditional uses of P. orientalis are supported by in vitro/vivo pharmacological studies, however, there is still a lack of researches on active pharmacodynamic ingredients as well as in-depth and in-vivo mechanistic studies. Therefore, isolation and identification of more active compounds (especially flavonoids), their structure-activity relationship and studies on pharmacodynamic mechanisms by more elaborative in-vivo studies on P. orientalis may be focused on in order to confirm efficacy of reported therapeutic effects of P. orientalis and help explore it's therapeutic potentials. Furthermore, research designs of pharmacological studies based on traditional uses of anti-rheumatoid arthritis through cell lines and animal models should also be considered as key research topics.

Effect of Polysaccharides from Bletilla striata on the Healing of Dermal Wounds in Mice.

Bletilla striata has been largely used in traditional folk medicine in China as a wound healing agent and to treat gastritis and several other health problems. Some studies have shown that plant polysaccharides may have the ability to promote wound healing. The aim of this work was to evaluate the wound healing activity of the polysaccharide extracted from Bletilla striata. Firstly, a Bletilla striata polysaccharide was extracted by water extraction and alcohol precipitation and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Bletilla striata polysaccharide was then tested for cell migration and proliferation using the mouse fibroblast cell line. Then, the Bletilla striata hydrogel was fabricated for acute wound health care of the mouse full-thickness excision. The results showed that the BSP enhanced the proliferation and migration of L929 cells. The superior wound healing capacity of the BSP hydrogel was demonstrated that it significantly accelerated the wound healing process in vivo in full-thickness skin defect wounded models. Compared to the saline group, the BSP hydrogel could accelerate wound healing and promote re-epithelialization and collagen deposition by means of TGF-ß/Smad signal pathway activation. Taken together, BSP hydrogel would be a useful pharmaceutic candidate for acute cutaneous wound health care.

Chemical characterization and gastroprotective effect of an isolated polysaccharide fraction from Bletilla striata against ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcer.

The chemical characterization and protective role against ethanol-induced gastric ulcerated rats of a polysaccharide fraction from Bletilla striata (BSP) collected by ultrafiltration membrane approach were evaluated. This BSP faction was consisted of mannose and glucose at a molar ratio of 2.4:1 approximately, with a molecular weight of 146 KDa. FT-IR, NMR and XRD spectra indicated that BSP faction contained α-Man and ß-Glc residues with low overall crystallinity. The polysaccharide exhibited significant scavenging activities of ABTS and FRAP, as well as non-toxicity against human gastric epithelial GES-1 cells. Oral administration with 100 mg/kg of BSP for 3 days continuously could significantly prevent the formation of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesion. It could also reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-18, and MPO activity in gastric tissue. Additionally, the BSP faction exhibited antioxidant activity, increased the content of PEG2 as a defensive factor, and suppressed MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in gastric tissue. These results indicated that the gastroprotective activity of BSP faction could be attributed to the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress and the inhibition of MAPK/NF-κB pathways. Our results provided substantial evidence that BSP could be a promising phytomedicine for gastric ulcer prevention.

The comparison of skin rejuvenation effects of vitamin A, fractional laser, and their combination on rat.

BACKGROUND: Because of long-term exposure of skin, skin aging is an unavoidable natural law with age. Traditional Vitamin A and novel ablative fractional laser technique both have the effects of skin rejuvenation, and studies have demonstrated both of them have apparent clinical efficacy and histology-improving effects on photo-aging skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 45 female healthy Wistar rats were selected and the depilation areas of every rat were divided into four regions: control region(Region A), Vitamin A acid region(Region B), combination treatment region(Region C), and fractional laser region(Region D). 0.025% Vitamin A acid cream was applied to Region B and C every day for 3 weeks; Region C and D were irradiated once with 10600nm CO2 fractional laser on the first day of the trail. The skin tissue was dissected and placed into liquid nitrogen according to the design. The real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting methods were taken to detect the expression changes of miR-29a, Akt, TGF-ß, and mRNA of type III pre-collagen. RESULTS: It can be seen from the results of the real-time quantitative PCR that the mRNA expression levels of type III pre-collagen, Akt, and TGF-ß in the treatment regions are up-regulated and the expression levels of miR-29a mRNA are down-regulated compared to the Region A. The hybridization tests showed that changes of the expression of type III pre-collagen, Akt gene, miR-29a gene, and TGF-ß gene across the experiment regions are all significantly different in the third week, and the expression levels of them all achieve the highest value in the third week, the expression level of miR-29a gene achieves the lowest value in the third week, which are consistent with the results of real-time quantitative PCR. CONCLUSION: It is indicated that the combination region of Vitamin A acid and fractional laser may lead to low expression of miR-29a, thus the inhibition of downstream Akt activation is loss, Akt activation is enhanced, enhancement of the expression of TGF-ß is induced, leading to proliferation of fibroblasts, and promotion of the collagen proteins' synthesis in skin. Therefore miR-29a/Akt/TGF-ß signal pathway may participate in the skin rejuvenation mechanism of action Vitamin A acid and fractional laser. This may provide a new treatment approach for skin rejuvenation.

Anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats and molecular docking studies of Polygonum orientale L. extracts.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Polygonum orientale L. (family: Polygonaceae), named Hongcao in China, has effects of dispelling wind and dampness, promoting blood circulation, and relieving pain. Our group has already studied and confirmed that POEa and POEe (ethyl acetate and ethyl ether extract of P. orientale, respectively) had anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in early research, which was mainly relevant to the existence of flavonoids. According to the clinical application of P. orientale in traditional Chinese medicine, it has long been used for rheumatic arthralgia and rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, our group further explored whether flavonoids of P. orientale have anti-rheumatoid arthritis effect and how does they play this role. METHODS: Dried small pieces of the stems and leaves of P. orientale were decocted with water and partitioned successively to obtain POEa and POEe, respectively. The anti-rheumatoid arthritis effect of P. orientale was studied by using a Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis (AIA) in a rat model. The levels of PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in serum of AIA rats were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to explore its mechanisms. In addition, we computationally studied the relationships between the 15 chemical components of POEa and POEe, and the currently focused 9 target proteins of rheumatoid arthritis by molecular docking. RESULTS: Pharmacological experiments showed that POEa and POEe significantly ameliorate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis via reducing paw swelling volume, arthritis score, and thymus and spleen indices, as well as increasing body weight in AIA rats. Simultaneously, the concentrations of PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-1ß were significantly decreased by POEa and POEe. Histopathology revealed noticeable reduction in bone and cartilage, synovial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, cartilage surface erosion, and joint degeneration by POEa and POEe treatment. In addition, the molecular docking studies showed that docking scores of 14 chemical compositions (including 12 flavonoids and 2 phenolic acids) of POEa and POEe with anti-rheumatoid arthritis protein targets were better than the complexed ligands of the anti-rheumatoid arthritis protein targets. Among them, six flavonoids in POEa and POEe had more docking protein targets (n ≥ 3). Five anti-rheumatoid arthritis targets including high-temperature requirement A1 protease (HtrA1), janus kinase 1 (JAK1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (i-NOS), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) had better docking score compared with the complexed ligands. Moreover, most of the chemical components in POEa and POEe showed strong interaction with HtrA1. CONCLUSIONS: The flavonoids of P. orientale have anti-rheumatoid arthritis effect. In addition, the molecular docking results indicate that quercetin, catechol, orientin, and other six flavonoids may be closely related to HtrA1, JAK1, COX-2, i-NOS, and PGE2 protein target receptors. It suggests that these chemical compositions form strong protein-ligand complexes with these protein targets, especially HtrA1 to exert anti-rheumatoid arthritis. Further experimental studies show that mechanisms of anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects may also be relevant to inhibit the levels of PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in serum. Therefore, our group can further explore the possible active ingredients and mechanisms of the anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects of flavonoids, and focus on the inhibition of the expression of inflammatory factors and the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway associated with HtrA1 protein target receptors, which can provide a direction and powerful reference for the action mechanism and drug research of anti-rheumatoid arthritis of flavonoids in P. orientale.