Reliability on evaluation of quadriceps femoris muscle quality by ultrasonic echo intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo evaluate the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of echo intensity of ultrasound image for quality of quadriceps femoris in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodsFrom March to December, 2021, 33 patients with unilateral KOA in Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were included. Ultrasound was used to observe the cross sections of rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL), and the images were saved. Two independent raters analyzed the average gray value of the picture with the Image J. One of the raters repeated the measurement. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimum detectable change (MDC) and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated and the Bland-Altman charts were drawn. ResultsThe gray value was higher in the RF, VM and VL in the affected side than in the healthy side (t > 2.262, P < 0.05). The inter-rater reliability was excellent, with ICC 0.982 to 0.995, SEM 1.60 to 3.82, CV 1.49% to 5.90%, and MDC value 4.43 to 10.59. The test-retest reliability of the rater was excellent, with ICC 0.969 to 0.990, SEM 2.37 to 5.41, CV 2.22% to 4.84%, and MDC value 6.57 to 15.00. Bland-Altman charts analysis showed that the consistency was good. ConclusionThe quadriceps femoris muscle quality is different between the affected and the healthy sides in patients with unilateral KOA. It is reliable to evaluate muscle echo intensity by Image J.

Difference of cervical and shoulder muscle performance and its correlation with pain and body mass index in patients with chronic neck pain / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo test the inter-tester reliability and test-retest reliability of MyotonPRO for evaluating neck and shoulder muscle performance parameters in patients with unilateral chronic neck pain, observe the difference of muscle performance between the healthy and affected sides of patients with chronic neck pain, and analyze the factors that cause the imbalance of muscle performance in patients with chronic neck pain. MethodsFrom January to June, 2023, 32 patients with unilateral chronic neck pain in Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were selected. Two testers used the same MyotonPRO equipment to measure the muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity on both sides of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the upper trapezius muscle in the relaxed position. Tester 1 repeated the measurement after an interval of 30 minutes, and Tester 2 was measured within the time interval between the two measurements of Tester 1. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of mean (SEM) and minimum detectable change (MDC) were calculated simultaneously. The measurement results were plotted into Bland-Altman diagram and systematic bias analysis was performed. The difference in muscle characteristics between the affected side and the healthy side was compared. At the same time, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and body mass index (BMI) of the subjects were collected for correlation analysis. ResultsExcept the sternocleidomastoid muscle elasticity of the affected side (ICC = 0.697), the inter-tester reliability of all other parameters was high to very high (ICC = 0.719 to 0.952, SEM = 0.04 to 6.53, MDC = 0.12 to 18.11). The test-retest reliability of all parameters was high (ICC = 0.883 to 0.981, SEM = 0.03 to 5.72, MDC = 0.09 to 15.84). Bland-Altman plot analysis showed that the scatter distribution was consistent. The muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle were higher on the affected side than on the healthy side (t > 2.846, P < 0.05). The asymmetry index of tension, hardness and elasticity of upper trapezius muscle and sternocleidomastoid muscle was significantly positively correlated with VAS score and BMI (r > 0.385, P < 0.05). ConclusionMyotonPRO has good inter-tester reliability and retest reliability in evaluating the muscle performance of both sides of patients with chronic neck pain. The muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle on the affected side were higher than on the healthy side, and the difference of muscle performance was positively correlated with pain and BMI.

Research progress in prevention and treatment of radiation-induced intestinal injury by traditional Chinese medicine active components / 中国中药杂志

Radiation-induced intestinal injury(RIII), a common complication of radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies, affects the quality of life and the radiotherapy efficacy for cancer. Currently, the main clinical approaches for the prevention and treatment of RIII include drug therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and surgical treatment. Among these methods, drug therapy is cost-effective. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) containing a variety of active components demonstrates mild side effects and good efficacy in preventing and treating RIII. Studies have proven that TCM active components, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and alkaloids, can protect the intestine against RIII by inhibiting oxidative stress, regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines, modulating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, adjusting intestinal flora, and suppressing cell apoptosis. These mechanisms can help alleviate the symptoms of RIII. The paper aims to provide a theoretical reference for the discovery of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of RIII by reviewing the literature on TCM active components in the last 10 years.

A new phloroglucinol from Dryopteris fragrans and its antibacterial activity in vitro / 中国中药杂志

A new phloroglucinol was isolated from 50% ethanol extract of Dryopteris fragrans by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography(TLC), and preparative liquid column chromatography. On the basis of MS, ~1H-NMR, ~(13)C-NMR, and reference materials, compound 1 was identified as 2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one, 2-{[2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-3-methyl-5-(1-isobutyl)phenyl]methyl}-3,5-dihydroxy-4,4-dimethyl-6-(1-oxobutyl)(1), and named disaspidin BB. Compound 1 was evaluated for its antibacterial activity. The experimental results showed that compared with the commonly used topical antibiotics erythromycin or mupirocin, disaspidin BB exhibited significant antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis(SEP), S. haemolyticus(SHA), and methicillin-resistant S. aureus(MRSA)(P<0.05). Additionally, disaspidin BB was sensitive to ceftazidime-resistant SEP1-SEP4, SHA5-SHA7, MRSA8, and MRSA9. The MIC values of disaspidin BB against SEP and SHA were 1.67-2.71 μg·mL~(-1) and 10.00-33.33 μg·mL~(-1) respectively. Disaspidin BB has good antibacterial activities and deserves development as a new anti-infective drug for external use.

Discussion on relationship between autophagy and endometriosis based on pathogenesis of "dampness and stasis" / 中国中药杂志

Endometriosis(EMs) is a stubborn gynecological disease caused by persistent immune-inflammatory effects, and is known as "benign tumor" because of its similar characteristics to malignant tumors. National physician master Professor BAN Xiu-wen believes that the spread of damp-evil is the pathologic foundation for inflammatory response of ectopic endometrium; accumulation of blood stasis is the pathological product of continuous inflammatory attacks, and the combination of dampness and stasis is the main pathogenesis for refractory EMs. Modern researches have shown that immune-inflammatory effect is the key mechanism for development of EMs, and is closely related to cell autophagy, all of which have made it become the hot spots in research of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of EMs. Therefore, with immune-inflammatory effect as the breakthrough point in this research, and with reference to the related research of autophagy, the correlation between "combination of dampness and stasis" and abnormal autophagy-induced immune inflammatory response in ectopic endometrium was discussed, to provide guidance for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine and modern research.

Establishment of HPLC fingerprint and determination method of three index components of classical herbal formula substance benchmarks of Xiebai Powder / 中草药

Objective: To establish the HPLC fingerprint and the determination method of three index components of the classical herbal formula substance benchmarks of Xiebai Powder. Methods: Fingerprint chromatographic conditions were as following: detection wavelength 254 nm/325 nm, column temperature 35 ℃; flow rate 0.8 mL/min; injection volume 25 μL; mobile phase consisting of 0.1% aqueous formic acid (A) and acetonitrile (B); binary gradient elution: 0-20 min, 5%-10% B; 20-33 min, 10%-15% B; 33-50 min, 15%-20% B; 50-95 min, 20%-58% B. Ten batches of substance benchmarks of Xiebai Powder fingerprints were collected and evaluated by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Committee "Chinese Medicine Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System 2012 Edition" software. Chromatographic conditions of content determination: detection wavelength 237 nm, column temperature 30 ℃; flow rate 1.0 mL/min; injection volume 5 μL; mobile phase consisting of 0.1% aqueous phosphoric acid (A) and acetonitrile (B) for binary gradient elution: 0-10 min, 5%-20% B; 10-18 min, 20%-60% B; 18-26 min, 60%-100% B; 26-38 min, 100% B; 38-41 min, 100%-5% B; 41-45 min, 5% B. Results: Based on the matching results, 55 common peaks were determined at a wavelength of 254 nm, and 57 common peaks were determined at a wavelength of 325 nm. Three substances, mulberroside A (S), liquiritin and ammonium glycyrrhizinate, were identified in the common peaks. After methodological research, its precision, stability and reproducibility were good. Ten batches of substance benchmarks of Xiebai Powder fingerprints were evaluated with reference fingerprints, and their similarities were greater than 0.9. The average recovery rates of mulberroside A (S), liquiritin and ammonium glycyrrhizinate were 97.82%, 97.40% and 105.81%, respectively. The RSD (n = 6) was 4.41%, 2.51% and 1.19%, respectively, which met the require of 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The three components had good linearity in the range of 25.25-2525 ng, 25-2 500 ng and 8.5-850 ng, respectively. The method had good precision, stability and repeatability. The contents of 10 batches of substance benchmarks of Xiebai was determined. The content of mulberry A was 11.6-35.5 mg/g, the content of liquiritin was 0.1-1.6 mg/g, and the content of glycyrrhizic acid was 0.3-2.5 mg/g. The range of the contents of these ingredients was large, which indicated that the quality of mulberry husks and licorice herbs from different places was quite different. Conclusion: The establishment of the HPLC fingerprint and the determination method of three index components of the classical herbal formula substance benchmarks of Xiebai Powder provided some bases for the study of the quality standard of substance benchmarks of Xiebai Powder.

Discovery of quality markers of traditional Chinese medicine compounds and visualization technology of content-effect colour atla / 药学学报

The chemical composition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compounds is complex, the treatment is broad, and the quality control indexes cannot accurately reflect the functional properties. According to the above problems, the authors take the research process of quality markers of Qizhiweitong granules as an example to innovate the research ideas and technical methods, and constructed five progressive steps of TCM compounds quality control and evaluation model: "based on function, to figure out the attending", "components and pharmacodynamics correlation, multiple components with multiple effects", "to analyze the components, and systematically integrate them", "spectrum and effect correlation, from a spectrum to see the efficiency", and "from the content-effect colour atla to see the quality". Based on the multiple effects of components, multiple components of multi-effect pharmacological efficacy evaluation system were established. All-time isobaric multiwavelength fusion fingerprint technology was improved and developed. "Spectrum-effect colour atla" software was research and developed for the first time, to realize the "visualization" of TCM efficacy. The aim of this work is to provide an exploratory solution for the integrated quality control of TCM compounds.

Effects of moxibustion at 45 ℃ on blood lipoids and serum level of ox-LDL and NO in rats with hyperlipidemia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of moxibustion at different temperatures (38 ℃ and 45 ℃) on blood lipoids and serum level of oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and nitric oxide (NO) in rats with hyperlipidemia, and to explore the correlation between regulating blood fat and anti-oxidative stress and protection of vascular endothelium of moxibustion at 45 ℃.@*METHODS@#According to random number table, 60 SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a moxibustion at 38 ℃ group and a moxibustion at 45 ℃ group, 15 rats in each group. The rats in the normal group received no treatment; the rats in the remaining three groups were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to prepare rat models of hyperlipidemia. After successful modeling, the rats in the model group received no treatment; the rats in the moxibustion at 38 ℃ group and moxibustion at 45 ℃ group were treated with moxibustion at "Shenque" (CV 8) and "Zusanli" (ST 36), and the temperature was controlled at (38±1) ℃ and (45±1) ℃, respectively. The moxibustion was given for 10 min at each acupoint, once every two days, and totally 4-week treatment was given. After treatment, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured by using biochemical colorimetric method; the levels of ox-LDL and NO were measured by using ELISA method.@*RESULTS@#① Compared with the normal group, the levels of TC, TG and LDL-C were significantly increased in the model group (all 0.05). ② Compared with the normal group, the level of ox-LDL was increased but that of NO was decreased in the model group (both <0.01); compared with the model group and moxibustion at 38 ℃ group, the level of ox-LDL was decreased but that of NO was increased in the moxibustion at 45 ℃ group (<0.01, <0.05); compared with the model group, the level of ox-LDL was decreased but that of NO was increased in the moxibustion at 38 ℃ group (both <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion at 45 ℃ has regulating effects on blood lipid in rats with hyperlipidemia, which can regulate blood lipid through various ways, such as anti-oxidative stress and protection of vascular endothelium.

Mechanism of Prunellae Spica on Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Prunellae Spice in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on the network pharmacological method, in order to elaborate its scientific connotation. Method:The active ingredients and targets of Prunellae Spice were obtained through retrieval of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMSP), the disease-genome association database (DisGeNET) was searched to obtain the disease targets relating to non-small cell lung cancer, and the drug-component-disease-target network was constructed. The mechanism of action was analyzed. The key target protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. The gene ontology (GO) classification and enrichment analysis of key targets and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were carried out. Result:Totally 11 active ingredients and 178 targets were obtained from TCMSP, 2019 genes relating to non-small cell lung cancer were obtained from DisGeNET database, 114 key targets for Prunellae Spice to treat non-small cell lung cancer were obtained from drug-component-disease-target network, and 114 PPI networks were constructed, including 114 nodes and 1 952 edges. According to the analysis of PPI network, the key targets of Prunella vulgaris in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer included protein kinase B (Akt)1, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGFA), Caspase-3, interleukin(IL)-6, JUN, mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK)8, MYC, epithelial growth factor receptor(EGFR). The enrichment of KEGG involved 152 biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell division, cell apoptosis. KEGG enrichment involved 147 signaling pathways. phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, NF-kappa B pathway, hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) pathway, p53 signaling pathway and EGFR signaling pathway played key roles in the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer. Conclusion:This study preliminarily verified the basic pharmacological effect and mechanisms of Prunellae Spice on NSCLC, and laid a foundation for further exploring its mechanisms.

Study of cancer cell apoptosis induced by Schizonepeta tenuifolia with microfluidic chip technology / 药学学报

This study was designed to elucidate the chemical composition and anti-cancer effects of Schizonepeta tenuifolia's ethanol extracts. Microfluidic technology was used in the study of Schizonepeta tenuifolia from 9 different geographic regions. The ethanol extracts were examined with HPLC to establish their Fingerprints in order to analyze the relationship between the spectrum and efficacy index through Grey Correlation software, and a rapid HPLC-Q-TOF/MS method was established. The result shows that chromatographic peaks of the 19, 6, 11, 16, 18th are the representative diosmetin, luteoloside, hesperidin, luteolin, and apigenin. The 10, 12, 20th peaks may be naringenin-7-O-glucuronide or quercitrin, rosmarinate or acetylcorynoline, and 5,7-dihydroxy-6,4-dimethoxy flavone. The major chemical composition of Schizonepeta tenuifolia was found to have the anti-lung-tumor effects. A new method was established for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine.

Study on relationship between efficacy against lung cancer and different parts of Schizonepeta tenuifolia based on microfluidic chip technology / 中国中药杂志

In order to further clarify the rational use of different medicinal parts of Schizonepeta, microfluidic technology was used in this study to investigate the differences in drug efficacy against lung cancer in vitro. The ethanol extracts were examined with HPLC to establish their fingerprints in order to analyze the relationship between the spectrum and efficacy index through Grey Correlation software, and a rapid HPLC-Q-TOF/MS method was established. The result in vitro shows that the effect and components of different medicinal parts had a certain differences, and apoptosis and necrosis rate from big to small in turn is leaf, flower, root, stem. The chromatographic peaks of the 26, 12, 2, 6 and 15th are the luteolin, icynaroside, rosmarinic, caffeic acid, and hesperidin, while the 20 and 10th may be dan phenolic acid L and benzoic acid. On the one hand, preliminary study reflects that the root of Schizonepeta tenuifolia may be developed into the medicinal parts in future. On the other hand, the major chemical composition of S. tenuifolia was found to have the anti-lung-tumor effects. This new method was established for the quality control and the rational use of different parts of traditional Chinese medicine.

Study on relationship between gallbladder calculi with hyperlipidemia and Chinese medicine constitution / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the relationship between gallbladder stone with blood lipid levels ,body weight index (BMI) and distribution of TCM constitution .Methods A total of 698 cases of gallstone in our two hospital from September 2013 to February 2015 were selected as the experiment group ,and contemporaneous 253 cases of abdominal hernia ,gallbladder polyp and other diseases were included into the control group .The TCM constitution identification investigation was performed and the TCM constitution distribution was observed .The blood lipid levels and BMI were compared between the two groups .The risk of blood lipid level and BMI to gallstone occurrence was evaluated .Results The normal constitution in the experimental group accounted for 12 .2% ,the top three places of the biased constitution were phlegm‐damp nature ,Qi deficiency nature and damp heat nature ,which accounted for 29 .4% ,17 .0% and 11 .0% respectively .The TC and VLDL‐C level and BMI in the male and female patients of the experiment group were higher than those in the control group ,moreover the TG level in the female patients of the experiment group was significantly higher than that in the control group ,the difference was statistically significant (P< 0 .05) .The increase of TC (OR=2 .87) ,VLDL‐C(OR=6 .32) and BMI (male:OR=2 .43 ,female:OR=2 .01) were the risk factors of gallstone occurrence . Conclusion Increase of TC ,VLDL‐C and BMI are the risk factors of gallstone occurrence ,the TCM constitution of gallstone pa‐tients is dominated by the phlegm‐damp nature .

Effect of Qi-regulating,Phlegm-resolving,and Blood-promoting Prescription on Rat Coronary Microvascular Thrombosis and Coronary Microvascular Occlusion / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To explore the effect of qi-regulating,phlegm-resolving,and blood-promoting prescription on coronary microvascular thrombosis and coronary microvascular occlusion in rat models. Methods Totally 125 healthy clean-grade male SD rats weighing (300±25) g were sequentially numbered and then randomly divided into treatment group (n=60),control group (n=60) and blank group (n=5).Rats in the treatment group and control group received apical left ventricular injection of sodium laurate to establish rat models of coronary microvascular thrombosis. Then,rats in the control group were given distilled water by gavage one day before operation and after surgery. In contrast,rats in the treatment group were given qi-regulating,phlegm-resolving,and blood-promoting prescription by gavage one day before operation and after surgery. Five rats from both treatment group and control group were killed at each of six time points (1 hour,24th hour,7th day,14th day,21th day,and 28th day),and the myocardium specimens were harvested. The 5 rats in the blank group did not receive any special treatment and were given normal feeding;in the 28th day,they were sacrificed to obtain the myocardial specimens. Pathological sections of rat myocardial tissues were made to observe and compare the degrees of coronary microvascular thrombosis and coronary microvascular obstruction.Results In the treatment group and the control group,coronary microvascular thrombosis occurred 1 hour after apical sodium laurate injection and reached the peak at the 24th hour. Compared with the blank group,the treatment group and the control group showed different degree of coronary microvascular obstruction. Comparison between the treatment group and the control group at each time point showed that the coronary microvascular thrombosis in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).The severity of coronary microvascular occlusion was significantly milder in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusions Apical left ventricular injection of sodium laurate successfully established rat models of coronary microvascular thrombosis. Qi-regulating,phlegm-resolving,and blood-promoting prescription can reduce coronary microvascular thrombosis and improve coronary microvascular obstruction.

Pandanus tectorius derived caffeoylquinic acids inhibit lipid accumulation in HepG2 hepatoma cells through regulation of gene expression involved in lipid metabolism / 药学学报

The fruit of Pandanus tectorius (PTF) has a long history of use as a folk medicine to treat hyperlipidemia in Hainan province, South China. Our previous studies have shown that the n-butanol extract of PTF is rich in caffeoylquinic acids and has an adequate therapeutic effect on dyslipidemic animals induced by high-fat diet. In this work, seven caffeoylquinic acids isolated from PTF were screened for the lipid-lowering activity in HepG2 hepatoma cells. Oil-Red O staining, microscopy and intracellular triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) quantification showed that 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), 3, 5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-CQA), and 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,4,5-CQA) significantly inhibited lipid accumulation induced by oleic acid and decreased intracellular levels of TC and TG in a dose-dependent manner. These three caffeoylquinic acids showed no significant cytotoxicity at concentrations of 1 -50 μmol x L(-1) as determined by MTT assay. Realtime quantitative PCR revealed that 3-CQA and 3, 5-CQA significantly increased the expression of lipid oxidation-related genes PPARα, CPT-1 and ACOX1 while 3-CQA, 3, 5-CQA and 3,4,5-CQA decreased the expression of lipogenic genes SREBP-1c, SREBP-2, HMGR, ACC, FAS. Overall, 3-CQA, 3, 5-CQA and 3, 4, 5-CQA may be the principal hypolipidemic components in PTF which can decrease intracellular lipid accumulation through up-regulating the expression of lipid oxidative genes and down-regulating the expression of lipogenic genes.

Pandanus tectorius derived caffeoylquinic acids inhibit lipid accumulation in HepG2 hepatoma cells through regulation of gene expression involved in lipid metabolism / 药学学报

The fruit of Pandanus tectorius (PTF) has a long history of use as a folk medicine to treat hyperlipidemia in Hainan province, South China. Our previous studies have shown that the n-butanol extract of PTF is rich in caffeoylquinic acids and has an adequate therapeutic effect on dyslipidemic animals induced by high-fat diet. In this work, seven caffeoylquinic acids isolated from PTF were screened for the lipid-lowering activity in HepG2 hepatoma cells. Oil-Red O staining, microscopy and intracellular triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) quantification showed that 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), 3, 5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-CQA), and 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,4,5-CQA) significantly inhibited lipid accumulation induced by oleic acid and decreased intracellular levels of TC and TG in a dose-dependent manner. These three caffeoylquinic acids showed no significant cytotoxicity at concentrations of 1 -50 μmol x L(-1) as determined by MTT assay. Realtime quantitative PCR revealed that 3-CQA and 3, 5-CQA significantly increased the expression of lipid oxidation-related genes PPARα, CPT-1 and ACOX1 while 3-CQA, 3, 5-CQA and 3,4,5-CQA decreased the expression of lipogenic genes SREBP-1c, SREBP-2, HMGR, ACC, FAS. Overall, 3-CQA, 3, 5-CQA and 3, 4, 5-CQA may be the principal hypolipidemic components in PTF which can decrease intracellular lipid accumulation through up-regulating the expression of lipid oxidative genes and down-regulating the expression of lipogenic genes.

Study on the in vivo toxic mechanism of xixin based on trace elements determination by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Xixin has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for headache, toothache and inflammatory diseases. Clinical investigation indicated that adverse drug reactions occurred with an overdose of xixin, but the toxic mechanism of xixin in vivo based on trace elements has not been researched yet. OBJECTIVE: To explore the in vivo toxic mechanism of xixin induced by trace elements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The contents of trace elements in the serum and liver of mice were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after obtaining xixin extracts. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed between the trace elements' content and dosage using the software GeneSpring 12.1 to analyze the main toxic elements in vivo. RESULTS: Trace elements' contents were obviously raised after xixin extracts were taken as a dosage of 150 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL, respectively. Na, Ca, Cu and Cd in serum and Ca and Zn in liver were the main trace elements inducing the toxic reaction of xixin. CONCLUSION: Xixin possesses the potential function of indirectly upregulating trace elements in vivo. This study, for the first time, elucidated the in vivo toxic mechanism of xixin based on trace elements. This method could also be utilized in the research of corresponding aspects.

Effects of modified Sanhuang decoction () enema on serum tumor necrosis factor-α and colonic mucosa interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 levels in ulcerative colitis rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Modified Sanhuang Decoction (, MSD) enema on the serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and colonic mucosa interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in experimental ulcerative colitis (UC) rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal group (n=12), model group (n=11), salazosulfapyridine (SASP) group (n=11) and MSD group (n=11). The UC model was induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)/ethanol solution. Rats in the normal group and model group were clystered with 0.9% normal saline, while in the SASP group and MSD group were clystered with SASP and MSD enema, respectively. After drug administration (10 mL/kg body weight, for 7 days), colonic gross changes and colonic mucosa histology were observed, serum TNF-α and colonic mucosa IL-1β, IL-6 levels were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and radioimmunoassay, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with the normal group, the experimental UC rats, the colonic mucosal damage index scores (CMDIs), histopathological scores (HS) and the serum TNF-α and colonic mucosa IL-1β, IL-6 levels significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In the MSD and SASP groups, the ulcer area significantly reduced, and edema disappeared. The CMDIs, HS, the serum TNF-α and colonic mucosa IL-1β, IL-6 levels in the MSD and SASP groups significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01) compared with the model group. The CMDIs in the MSD group were lower than that in the SASP group (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in HS, serum TNF-α or colonic mucosa IL-1β, IL-6 levels between the MSD and SASP groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MSD enema can improve colonic mucosa impairment and decrease serum TNF-α and colonic mucosa IL-1β, IL-6 levels in experimental UC.</p>

Synergy Effect of Effective Substances Group and Mechanism of Qi-Zhi Wei-Tong Granules in Promoting Gastrointestinal Dynamic Effect / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This article was aimed to study the synergy effect of effective substances group and mechanisms of Qi-Zhi Wei-Tong (QZWT) Granules in promoting gastrointestinal dynamic effect in order to explore its mechanism. Rats were divided into 16 groups. Different component compatibility was given to promote the gastrointestinal dynamic ef-fect. The traditional semi-solid paste carbon propelling analysis method was used to observe gastrointestinal motility changes of rats after medication. After intragastric administration, changes of NO, cGMP and Ca2+content in gastroin-testinal tissues were observed. The results showed that fructus aurantii flavonoids and Cyperi flavonoids had the most prominent effect in promoting gastrointestinal motility in QZWT Granules (P< 0.01), which were followed by Cyperus oil and limonene (P< 0.05). Two-way interactions indicated that the combination of fructus aurantii flavonoids and limonene had prominently promoting action in gastrointestinal motility, which was followed by the combination of fructus aurantii flavonoids and Cyperus oil, Cyperi flavonoids and Cyperus oil, limonene and Cyperus oil. Each effec-tive component can reduce the NO and cGMP content in gastrointestinal tissues, and increase the Ca2+ content. It was concluded that the study defined the correlation and synergy between effective components and promoting effect of gastrointestinal motility. Mechanism of the effective component to promote gastrointestinal dynamic might be relat-ed to the reducing of NO and cGMP content in gastrointestinal tissues and increasing of Ca2+ content. This study also provided a theoretical basis for further research on quality control, compatibility and spectrum-effect correlation of gastrointestinal motility promotion medications.

Study on chromatography-efficacy relationship of anti-inflammatory activity of qizhi weitong particle compound herbs with neural network and gray correlation method / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish the chromatography-efficacy relation method for analyzing the anti-inflammatory activity of Qizhi Weitong particles, in order to lay a foundation for quality control and pharmacodynamic evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine compounds.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>On the basis of a full-time multi-wavelength fusion fingerprint of Qizhi Weitong particles, the latin hypercube sampling was used to divide six herbs in Qizhi Weitong particles into groups of different proportions to determine their inhibition ratios of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and NO released by LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cells. Pharmaeodynamic data and chemical information of HPLC fingerprints of each group were analyzed with the gray correlation method to get the anti-inflammatory effect of each chromatographic peak, and then fitted with BP neural network to establish the chromatography-efficacy relation.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>There were 25 peaks closely related to the anti-inflammatory activity. With the 25 peaks as input items, the 3-BP network was adopted to establish the neural network model for anti-inflammatory effect of Qizhi Weitong particles.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>With an error of less than 7%, the model could better fit with the complicated non-linear relation of the compound, and applied in studying the chromatography-efficacy relation. In this study on the chromatography-efficacy relation, a new method is established to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of Qizhi Weitong particles. It is of practical significance as an effective approach for controlling quality and exploring the material basis for efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine compounds.</p>

Study on all-time multi-wavelength fusion fingerprint of Qizhiweitong granules and multi-component quantitative analysis / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To control the quality of Qizhiweitong granules with the all-time multi-wavelength fusion fingerprint quantification as the major technique.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Agilent TC-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) chromatographic column was adopted, with 0.02% formic acid water-acetonitrile as the mobile phase for linear gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL x min(-1), column temperature was 30 degrees C, and detector wavelength was 230, 254, 283 nm. Matlab was adopted for all-time multiple-wavelength fusion for data in dif format.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>A good relationship was shown for albiflorin in 56.5-452 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 8), paeoniflorin in 107-856 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 8), licorice glycoside in 73.4-687 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 8), naringin in 109-872 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 8), neohesperidin in 48.0-384 mg L(-1) (r = 0.999 8), and glycyrrhizic acid in 38.6-308 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 8), with recoveries of 0.999 8.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method is simple, accurate and highly reproducible, and can provide basis for quality control of Qizhiweitong granules.</p>