[Investigating effect of Faeces Bombycis on intestinal microflora in rats with syndrome of damp retention in middle-jiao by high-throughput sequencing].

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of Faeces Bombycis(FB) on the intestinal microflora in rats with syndrome of damp retention in middle-jiao, and to explore its mechanism in regulating intestinal microflora from the perspective of microorganisms contained in FB. The contents of antidiuretic hormone(ADH) and C-reactive protein(CRP) in serum and aquaporin 3(AQP3) in jejunum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Illumina Miseq platform was used for high-throughput sequencing of the rat feces and FB. The ELISA results showed that as compared with the normal control group, the contents of ADH and CRP in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.05), and the content of AQP3 was significantly decreased(P<0.05). After drug administration, the ADH, CRP and AQP3 contents were recovered. Sequencing of rat feces showed that the ACE, Chao1 and Shannon indexes of the intestinal microflora were the lowest in the model group. As compared with the normal control group, the levels from phylum to genus were all significantly changed in model group, and Proteobacteria, Acinetobacter, Anaerobacter, Pseudomonas, and Parabacteroides levels were significantly increased(P<0.05), while Marvinbryantia level was significantly decreased(P<0.05). As compared with the model group, Proteobacteria was significantly decreased in the FB low and high dose groups(P<0.05), and Acinetobacter, Anaerobacter, Pseudomonas, Parabacteroides levels were significantly decreased in the low, medium and high dose groups(P<0.05), while Lachnoanaerobaculum, Intestinimonas and Marvinbryantia were increased significantly in the high dose group(P<0.05). Sequencing analysis of FB showed that the relative abundance of Leclercia, Pantoea, Brachybacterium, Shimwellia, Hartmannibacter, Klebsiella, Serratia, Aurantimonas, Paenibacillus and Bacillus was high in the FB, but they were basically not present or little in the rat feces. In conclusion, FB may play a role in the treatment of "syndrome of damp retention in middle-jiao" by balancing the intestinal microflora, and this effect may be related to the metabolites of microorganisms in the FB.

Adefovir Dipivoxil plus Chinese Medicine in HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B Patients: A Randomized Controlled 48-Week Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a 48-week course of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) plus Chinese medicine (CM) therapy, namely Tiaogan Jianpi Hexue () and Tiaogan Jiedu Huashi () fomulae, in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive Chinese patients. METHODS: A total of 605 HBeAg-positive Chinese CHB patients were screened and 590 eligible participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups in 1:1 ratio including experimental group (EG, received ADV plus CM) and control group (CG, received ADV plus CM-placebo) for 48 weeks. The major study outcomes were the rates of HBeAg and HBV-DNA loss on week 12, 24, 36, 48, respectively. Secondary endpoints including liver functions (enzymes and bilirubin readings) were evaluated every 4 weeks at the beginning of week 24, 36, and 48. Routine blood, urine, and stool analyses in addition to electrocardiogram and abdominal B scan were monitored as safety evaluations. Adverse events (AEs) were documented. RESULTS: The combination therapy demonstrated superior HBeAg loss at 48 weeks, without additional AEs. The full analysis population was 560 and 280 in each group. In the EG, population achieved HBeAg loss on week 12, 24, 36, and 48 were 25 (8.90%), 34 (12.14%), 52 (18.57%), and 83 (29.64%), respectively; the equivalent numbers in the CG were 20 (7.14%), 41 (14.64%), 54 (19.29%), and 50 (17.86%), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between these group values on week 48 (P<0.01). No additional AEs were found in EG. Subgroup analysis suggested different outcomes among treatment patterns. CONCLUSION: Combination of CM and ADV therapy demonstrated superior HBeAg clearance compared with ADV monotherapy. The finding indicates that this combination therapy may provide an improved therapeutic effect and safety profile (ChiCTR-TRC-11001263).

[Establishment of near-infrared on-line monitoring model and determination of endpoint in frying process of Hordei Fructus Germinatus].

Hordei Fructus Germinatus has been always used by "stir-frying" as a traditional medicine and the endpoint judgment of "fragrant" and "yellow" has been the focus and difficulty in frying process research. In this study, a quantitative calibration model between index components and NIRS was established in order to rapidly detect the contents of reducing sugar, total amino acids, total flavonoids, A420 and moisture; besides, an endpoint judgment method of frying process was put forward based on the "component change rate". Near-infrared spectra of samples with different frying time were collected, and a quantitative analysis model based on near-infrared spectroscopy was established to optimize the parameters such as spectral pretreatment and modeling band. HCA and PLS-DA were used to study the relationship between component and "stir-frying", and the endpoint of frying process was determined. The established calibration model had a good performance that the correlation coefficients between the predicted results and the actual measured values were both more than 0.9, with predicted relative deviations less than 10%. Hordei Fructus Germinatus with different frying time was divided into 4 categories by HCA analysis. PLS-DA analysis showed that total reducing sugar had a significant contribution to distinguishing the Hordei Fructus Germinatus of different frying time. When the change rate of total reducing sugar was 80%, it could judge that the endpoint of frying had been obtained. Results showed that NIRS could not only quickly and accurately determine the contents of reducing sugar, total amino acid, total flavonoid, A420 and moisture in Hordei Fructus Germinatus samples of different frying time, but also judge the endpoint of frying in the process. This study provided a new method for the evaluation and endpoint judgment of "stir-frying" process in research of traditional Chinese medicine.

[Dynamic change rules of active ingredients and inactive ingredients from Fructus Hordei Germinatus with frying process].

It is not scientific to explain that fried Fructus Hordei Germinatus is more effective than row Fructus Hordei Germinatus in resolving food stagnation from the aspects of amylase, tricine and other "active ingredients". In the present experiment, the contents of active ingredients including quercetin, tricine, kaempferol, catechin, ferulic acid and inactive ingredients including 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, acrylamide in frying process were determined by HPLC. The dynamic change rules of active ingredient and inactive ingredients in the frying process were investigated by HCA, PCA and PLS-DA analysis. The results showed that the Fructus Hordei Germinatus samples with different frying temperatures were classified into 4 groups by HCA and PCA analysis. PLS-DA analysis showed that frying temperature mainly impacted the contents of inactive ingredients including 5-hydroxymethyl furfural and acrylamide, with less effects on the contents of active ingredients. Simultaneously, with the increase of time in frying process, the content of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural was significantly increased from 2 min and became stable at 16 min, while the content of acrylamide was increased continuously from 18 min. Based on the variation of the contents of various ingredients, samples at different frying time were classified into 5 groups. The results showed that the content changes of "inactive ingredients" were closely related to the duration and degree of frying process, and the dynamic change rules of "inactive ingredients" can provide scientific basis for evaluating the frying process and elucidating the efficacy mechanism of Fructus Hordei Germinatus.

[Effects of combined administration of Paeoniae Radix Alba on local pharmacokinetics of six aconite alkaloids by skin microdialysis in vivo].

The Aconiti Radix Cocta gel and Aconiti Radix Cocta combined with Paeoniae Radix Alba gel were administered to mice. Physiological saline was taken as perfusate. The perfusion rate was 2 µL•min⁻¹ and the microdialysis samples were collected every 0.5 h intervals for eight times. The six aconitine alkaloids concentration in perfusate were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The concentration-time curves were plotted, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and analyzed by SPSS. The effects of Paeoniae Radix Alba on transdermal permeation role of six aconitine alkaloids in herb couple of Paeoniae Radix Alba-Aconiti Radix Cocta were investigated. According to the results, Tmax of the three mono-ester aconitum alkaloids of Aconiti Radix Cocta combined with Paeoniae Radix Alba groups were shortened, meanwhile, Cmax and AUC of benzoylaconine and benzoylhypaconine were increased. However, AUC of the three diester-type alkaloids were reduced, with Tmax of hypaconitine prolonged and Cmax lowered. The study suggested that the combined administration of Aconiti Radix Cocta and Paeoniae Radix Alba promoted the transdermal permeation of mono-ester aconitum alkaloids, and inhibited the absorption of parts of diester-type alkaloids. This study proved the decreasing toxicity and increasing efficacy of the combination of Aconiti Radix Cocta and Paeoniae Radix Alba on the transdermal permeation, and provided a reference for studies on the prescription combination regularity and relevant practices.

[Study on Genuineness Recognition of "Jiang Aurantii Fructus" by Analyzing Fingerprint Similarity Using Information Entropy Theory].

OBJECTIVE: To study the genuineness recognition of traditional Chinese medicine by analyzing fingerprint similarity using information entropy theory, Aurantii Fructus was used as the model drug. METHODS: Fingerprints of different sources of Aurantii Fructus were analyzed by HPLC. "Jiang Aurantii Fructus" genuineness was evaluated by analyzing fingerprint similarity using information entropy theory and compared with the results of traditional calculated methods. RESULTS: The new method obviously improved the effect of genuineness recognition of "Jiang Aurantii Fructus". CONCLUSION: This method provides scientific reference for "Jiang Aurantii Fructus" genuineness identification.

[Studies on pharmacokinetics of artemether patch in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a HPLC-MS-MS determination method of artemether (ARM) and active derivatives DHA, and compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of ARM after transdermal and oral administration. METHOD: The mice were divided two groups (transdermal and oral) by parallel design. ARM and active derivatives DHA in plasma of mice at different sampling time were determined. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0 and by statistic analysis. RESULT: compare oral administration, the pharmacokinetic parameters of ARM after transdermal, Cmax Tmax , AUC(0-t) MRT, had significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The artemether patch has long-releasing property.

[Beneficial effects of Qiangxin capsule on controlling protein expression of myocardial apoptosis in heart failure rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Qiangxin Capsule on myocardial apoptosis in chronic heart failure rats. METHODS: The model was established by injecting ADR in intraperitoneal of Wistar rat. The models were devided into three groups those were prvention group with Chinese medicine, treatment group with Chinese medicine and control group with medicine. Cardiac myocyte apoptosis were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferaseediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), Fas and cardiac expression level of Bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Qiangxin capsule could inhibit myocardial apoptosis and Fas protein expression on chronic heart failure rat obviously , and improve Bcl-2 protein expression. CONCLUSION: Qianxin capsule can inhibit myocardial apoptosis and control Fas/Bcl-2 obviously. It may be one of its effects in delaying chronic heart failure.