Problem Analysis and Standard Establishment of Grade Evaluation Method of Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction Pieces / 中国实验方剂学杂志

High quality is the premise for the implementation of high quality and good price for decoction pieces， and grade is the most direct manifestation of high quality of decoction pieces. However， there is still a lack of scientific and reasonable methods for evaluating the grade of decoction pieces， and it is urgent to establish a widely recognized and unified standard for the grade of decoction pieces to ensure the quality of the decoction pieces and guarantee the safety and efficacy of clinical use. Based on this， this paper focused on analyzing the problems of the current grade evaluation methods， such as unclear distinction between quality standards and grade standards， unreasonable selection of grade evaluation indicators， and inaccurate application of mathematical statistical methods. Based on the analysis of the grade evaluation of decoction pieces， this paper proposed four criteria for establishing the grade evaluation method of decoction pieces， namely universality， comprehensiveness， reliability and convenience， in order to establish a more reasonable and unified grade standard for decoction pieces and promote the quality improvement of decoction pieces and the development of the industry.

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Hippocampal AcH3 and BDNF in the Rat Model of SNI-induced Pain-Depression Dyad / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo observe the impacts of electroacupuncture （EA） on the expression of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） and acetylated histone （AcH3） in the rat model of spared nerve injury （SNI）， so as to explore the analgesic and antidepressant effects of EA. MethodsTwenty-four Male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups， with 6 in each group. SNI was used to establish the model of pain and depression. All the groups were intervened one week after SNI surgery and persisted 5 weeks. The EA group was treated with EA （2 Hz） for 30 min every other day and imipramine drug group （IMP） group with peritoneal imipramine injection （10 mg/kg） per day. The sham surgery group （SS） and model group （SNI） received the same grasping stimulation. The paw mechanical withdrawal threshold （PWT） test was performed before the SNI surgery， 1， 2， 3， 4， 5， and 6 weeks after surgery， respectively. The forced swimming test （FST） and the sucrose preference test （SPT） were performed 6 weeks after SNI surgery. The Western blot method was employed to detect the expression of BDNF and AcH3 from the rat hippocampal tissue at the end of the behavioral tests. ResultsCompared with the SS group， the SNI group had significantly decreased PWT and sucrose consumption， prolonged FST immobility time （all P<0.01）， down-regulated BDNF and AcH3 expression （P<0.05 & P<0.01） in the hippocampus， which indicated the successful construction of the pain-depression model. Compared with the SNI group， 6 weeks after SNI surgery， the EA and IMP groups had significantly increased PWT and sucrose consumption， and reduced FST immobility time （all P<0.01）； the EA group had up-regulated BDNF and AcH3 expression （both P<0.05） in the hippocampus， the IMP group had up-regulated AcH3 （P<0.05） expression but no difference in BDNF expression. ConclusionEA could relieve pain and depressive behavioral symptoms in SNI rats. And its analgesic and antidepressant mechanisms may relate to the up-regulation of hippocampal AcH3 and BDNF expression.

Effect of Astrocyte-neuron Coupling Imbalance in Development of Alzheimer's Disease and Intervention Mechanism of Kidney-tonifying and Marrow-filling TCM Prescriptions / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Astrocytes are important nerve cells in the central nervous system （CNS）， which mainly play a key role in nutrition and support. Astrocytes and neurons undergo close energy coupling and substance coupling， which are closely related and interact with each other. In recent years， many studies have shown that the astrocyte-neuron coupling imbalance plays a central role in the occurrence and progression of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and serves as an important therapeutic target receiving increasing attention. According to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory， the main pathogenesis of AD is kidney deficiency and marrow inadequacy， and in clinical medication， kidney-tonifying and marrow-filling TCM prescriptions are often employed with satisfactory results achieved. As reported， many kidney-tonifying and marrow-filling prescriptions exhibit regulatory and protective effects on the imbalance of astrocyte-neuron coupling， suggesting that the effect of kidney-tonifying and marrow-filling prescriptions in treating AD may have some internal relationship with its regulation of the imbalance of astrocyte-neuron coupling. This article reviewed the underlying internal relationship between the imbalance of astrocyte-neuron coupling and the pathogenesis of kidney deficiency and marrow inadequacy in AD and the research progress in the intervention mechanism of TCM for tonifying the kidney and filling the marrow.

Research progress of natural borneol resources / 中国中药杂志

Natural borneol is an important traditional Chinese medicine herb with resuscitation-inducing, antipyretic and analgesic effects, and has been widely used in the fields of medicine, perfume and chemical industry. At present, natural borneol is short supply, with promising market development prospects. This paper summarized the distribution of borneol plant resources, cultivation status and molecular biological research progress, in the expectation of providing basis and ideas for the research and application of natural borneol.

Dose-effect relationship in treatment of chronic neck pain with the direct moxibustion of small moxa cone / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effectiveness in treatment of chronic neck pain with the direct moxibustion of small moxa cone and explore the dose-effect relationship in treatment of chronic neck pain with different small moxa cones.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 patients with chronic neck pain were randomized into a 3-moxa-cone group, a 5-moxa-cone group, a 7-moxa-cone group and a sham-moxibustion group, 30 cases in each one. Fengchi (GB 20), Tianzhu (BL 10), Jingbailao (EX-HN 15), Jianzhongshu (SI 15) and Jianjing (GB 21) were selected in each of the groups. The direct moxibustion with 3, 5 and 7 moxa cones as well as the sham-moxibustion therapy were provided successively in each of the above groups. In the sham-moxibustion group, the lower 1/3 section of moxa cone (about 1.5 mm in length) was soaked in oil before used in treatment. In each group, the treatment was given twice a week, for 10 treatments totally. Separately, before treatment, after treatment and in 1-month follow-up, the scores of the Northwick Park neck pain questionnaire (NPQ), the scores of McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) and the local pressure pain threshold (PPT) were observed in each group. After treatment and in 1-month follow-up, the therapeutic effects were evaluated in each group.@*RESULTS@#After treatment and in 1-month follow-up, NPQ scores and MPQ scores in the 3-moxa-cone group, the 5-moxa-cone group and the 7-moxa-cone group were reduced as compared with those before treatment separately (all 0.05). After treatment and in 1-month follow-up, NPQ scores and MPQ scores in the 3-moxa-cone group, the 5-moxa-cone group and the 7-moxa-cone group were lower as compared with the sham-moxibustion group separately (all 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The direct moxibustion therapy with different small-moxa-cones effectively relieves chronic neck pain. There is a trend of improvement of the therapeutic effects with increase of the numbers of moxa cones.

Betaine and arginine supplementation of low protein diets improves plasma lipids but does not affect hepatic fatty acid composition and related gene expression profiling in pigs.

BACKGROUND: The individual and combined effects of betaine and arginine supplemented to reduced protein diets were investigated on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid-sensitive factors in commercial pigs. Betaine has previously been shown to reduce carcass fat deposition and arginine improves meat quality of finishing pigs. Forty male crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to one of five diets (n = 8): 160 g kg-1 of crude protein (NPD), 130 g kg-1 of crude protein (RPD), RPD with 3.3 g kg-1 of betaine, RPD with 15 g kg-1 of arginine, and RPD with 3.3 g kg-1 of betaine and 15 g kg-1 of arginine. RESULTS: The restriction of dietary protein increased total lipids (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P < 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.001). Betaine and arginine, individually or combined, reduced the majority of plasma lipids (P < 0.05) without affecting total fatty acids in the liver and the overall gene expression pattern. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a positive effect of betaine and arginine, singly or combined, by reversing plasma lipids increase promoted by dietary protein restriction. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Preparation and evaluation of arsenic trioxide glioma targeting drug delivery system loaded by PAMAM dendrimers co-modified with RGDyC and PEG / 中国中药杂志

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an effective component of traditional Chinese medicine arsenic. The existing studies have shown its good inhibition and apoptosis ability on a variety of tumours. However, its toxicity and difficulties in the permeability into the blood brain barrier (BBB) has the limitation in the application of glioma treatment. Polyamide-amine dendrimer (PAMAM) is a synthetic polymer with many advantages, such as a good permeability, stability and biocompatibility. Additionally, the 5th generation of PAMAM is an ideal drug carrier due to its three-dimensional structure. In this study, the 5th generation of PAMAM co-modified with RGDyC and PEG, then confirmed by ¹H-NMR. The average particle size of nanoparticles was about 20 nm according to the nanoparticle size-potential analyser and transmission electron microscopy. release showed that the nanocarrier not only has the sustained release effect, but also some pH-sensitive properties. The cell results showed that PAMAM co-modified with RGDyC and PEGAM has a lower cytotoxicity than the non-modified group . Accordingly, the drug delivery system has a better anti-tumour effect across the blood brain barrier (BBB) , which further proves the tumour targeting of RGDyC.

Effect of decoction of Radix glycyrrhizae on the growth and acid-production of Streptococcus mutans in vitro / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the antibacterial activity of decoction of Radix glycyrrhizae against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The decoction of Radix glycyrrhizae was prepared by boiling particles of Radix glycyrrhizae, the diameter was 0.2-3.2 mm. In distilled water and filtered, the filtrate was collected for study. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the decoction against S. mutans were detected using double dilution. The effect of decoction on growth and acidogenic profile of S. mutans were investigated by detecting the Abs of bacteria suspension and the pH value of medium at definite time intervals(0, 3, 7, 12, 23, 40 h) during cultured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MIC determined for decoction was 50 mg x mL(-1) and there was no bactericidal effect when concentration of decoction lower than 100 mg x mL(-1). The decoction inhibitted multiplication of bacteria significantly and the effects became stronger with concentration increasing. The decoction also inhibitted S. mutans producing acid and the effect became stronger with concentration increasing. The most efficient inhibition were observed when incubated 12 hours.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The decoction of Radix glycyrrhizae can inhibite the growth and acid-production of S. mutans in vitro.</p>