The genus Ranunculus L. (Ranunculus) in Asia: a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and pharmaceutical preparations.

OBJECTIVES: Ranunculus L. genus contains 413 species, and it is the biggest genus in the family Ranunculaceae Juss. This review is to provide botanical characteristics, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and pharmaceutical preparations of the genus Ranunculus. KEY FINDINGS: The genus Ranunculus contains flavonoids, organic acids, coumarins, lactones, glycosides, sterols, polysaccharides, and trace elements. These chemical constituents complement the pharmacological actions and work together to exert anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antitubercular, antibacterial, antimalarial, etc. Those traditional Chinese medicine characteristics, like clearing away heat and detoxification, make this genus significant in ethnic medicine. The progress in research and the development of various pharmaceutical preparations made it appear in epidemiological and clinical studies. SUMMARY: The genus Ranunculus has attracted the attention of experts and scholars in many fields due to its unique advantages. However, there are many species that are not scientifically investigated. The toxicity issues are also a huge concern. Fortunately, the toxicity can be overcome via special processes like drying or heating and by choosing a safe extraction solvent, such as water thus ensuring the safety of medication. Pharmaceutical preparations containing the plants from Ranunculus have gratifying clinical value, but they are not promoted sufficiently. Therefore, further research should be carried out to promote the genus for its health benefits to humans.

Chamomile: A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents, Pharmacological Activities and Quality Control Studies.

Matricaria chamomilla L. (MC) and Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. (CN) are two varieties of Chamomile. These herbs have been used for thousands of years in Greece, Rome and ancient Egypt. Chamomile has been used for the treatment of stomach problems, cramps, dermatitis, and minor infections. The purpose of this study was to introduce the botanical characteristics and geographical distribution, traditional uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, toxicity studies and quality control studies, and lay a theoretical foundation for the rational development and utilization of chamomile. This review powered that chemical constituents include flavonoids, coumarins, volatile oils, terpenes, organic acids, polysaccharides, and others. These compounds possess anticancer, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, antihypertensive, antidepressant, neuroprotective activities, among others. Chamomile is a widely used herb in traditional medicine. It brings great economic value due to its numerous pharmacological effects and traditional uses. However, more toxicity tests should be carried out to confirm its safety. There is need for further research to provide concrete scientific evidence and validate its medicinal properties.

Salvia plebeia R. Br. polysaccharides (SPP) against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) infection: Antiviral effect and mechanisms of action.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiviral effect of Salvia plebeia R. Br. polysaccharides (SPP) against RSV and underlying mechanisms. METHODS: SPP was extracted via alcohol-precipitation method and extract was separated into various fractions using ultrafiltration method. The polysaccharide content was determined using UV-Vis. Antiviral effect of SPP and fractions was measured using MTT method and Reed-Muench method. Sixty Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, and received either Ribavirin or SPP. Their body weight and food intake were recorded every day throughout the experiment period. The lung index inhibition ratio and pulmonary virus titer were determined followed by the histological analysis of lungs. Furthermore, time-of-addition and effective stage analysis were carried out to determine the mechanism of action. The TLR-3 and TLR-4 levels in the lungs were determined using qRT-PCR. The levels of IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α in serum were determined using ELISA. RESULTS: The SPP content is 4.396%. SPP has shown a good anti-RSV effect both in vitro (TI = 123.041) and in vivo models. The antiviral activity of fractions with molecular weight ≥ 10,000 is found to possess more potent antiviral activity than other fractions. SPP inhibits the RSV proliferation and reduces the lung lesions induced by RSV. The mechanism of action involves the inhibition of TLR-3 and TLR-4 in lungs, up-regulation of IFN-γ and IL-2, and down-regulation of TNF-α in serum. It is also shown to improve the body's immune function. CONCLUSION: SPP has a potential to treat diseases caused by RSV.

Professor 's experience in the treatment of oculomotor nerve palsy with acupuncture based on the interactions of twelve muscle regions and opposing needling theory / 中国针灸

It was to introduce professor 's experience in the treatment of oculomotor nerve palsy with acupuncture based on the interactions of twelve muscle regions and opposing needling theory. In the treatment, the TCM syndrome differentiation is taken as the general principle, the theory of the interactions of twelve muscle regions and opposing needling as the specific feature. The contrary needling is used at Hanyan (GB 4) and Juliao (ST 3) on the healthy side. The meridian-collateral and the exterior-interior differentiations are adopted to identify the syndromes. At the early stage of the disease, the treating principle focuses on expelling wind, eliminating cold and promoting the circulations of meridians and collaterals. The shallow needling, less acupoints and gentle stimulation are required. At the middle and late stage, the treating principle concentrates on strengthening the antipathogenic and harmonizing and blood. The deep needling, the multiple acupoints and the strong stimulation are applied. Additionally, the four-needling technique at Fengchi (GB 20), the multiple shallow needling at the eyelid margin, the opposing needling and the quantity of needling sensation are used in combination, which were developed by professor . With those comprehensivemethods, the symptoms of oculomotor nerve palsy are relieved and the significant clinical therapeutic effects achieved.

Chinese medicine for outcomes in colorectal cancer patients: A retrospective clinical study / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) on survival of patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer (CRC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 295 patients who received chemotherapy were assigned to Group 1. The other 171 patients received the same chemotherapy treatment combined with the usage of CM Jianpi Jiedu Formula (, JPJD) for more than 3 months (Group 2). Patients' survival time, relapse and metastasis, and cause of death were observed. Cox proportional hazard regression models were established for the analysis of the effect of independent factors on the survival prognosis of patients with CRC.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survival rate of patients in Group 2 was higher than that of Group 1 (P<0.05). Compared with Group 1, the mean survival time was prolonged by 5.594 months and the median survival time was prolonged by 6 months in Group 2 (P=0.004). Cox regression analysis indicated that CM combined with chemotherapy provided signifificant protective effect, as observed with the improvements in the survival rates of CRC patients (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CM can improve the survival rate in patients with stage II and III CRC.</p>

Effects of acupuncture on circadian rhythm of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of acupuncture combined with medication on circadian rhythm of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four patients of essential hypertension were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 32 cases in each group. All the patients maintained original treatment (taking antihypertensive medication); the patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture method of ",", once a day, five times per week, for totally 6 weeks (30 times). The circadian rhythm of blood pressure and related dynamic parameters were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The differences of daytime average systolic blood pressure (dASBP), daytime average diastolic blood pressure (dADBP), nighttime average systolic blood pressure (nASBP) and circadian rhythm of systolic blood pressure before and after treatment were significant in the observation group (all<0.05); the differences of circadian rhythm of blood pressure and related dynamic parameters before and after treatment were insignificant in the control group (all>0.05). The nASBP and circadian rhythm of systolic blood pressure in the observation group were significantly different from those in the control group (all<0.05). (2) After the treatment, the spoon-shaped rate of circadian rhythm of blood pressure in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The acupuncture combined with medication could effectively improve the circadian rhythm of blood pressure and related dynamic parameters in patients with essential hypertension.</p>

A Multifunctional PB@mSiO2-PEG/DOX Nanoplatform for Combined Photothermal-Chemotherapy of Tumor.

In this work, we design mesoporous silica-coated Prussian blue nanocubes with PEGyltation to construct multifunctional PB@mSiO2-PEG nanocubes. The PB@mSiO2-PEG nanocubes have good biocompatibility, excellent photothermal transformation capacity, in vivo magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging ability. After loading antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) in the PB@mSiO2-PEG nanocubes, the constructured PB@mSiO2-PEG/DOX nanoplatforms show an excellent pH-responsive drug release character within 48 h, namely, an ultralow cumulative drug release amount of 3.1% at pH 7.4 and a high release amount of 46.6% at pH 5.0. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, the PB@mSiO2-PEG/DOX nanoplatforms show an enhanced synergistic photothermal and chemical therapeutic efficacy for breast cancer than solo photothermal therapy or chemotherapy.

Salidroside protects against kainic acid-induced status epilepticus via suppressing oxidative stress.

There are numerous mechanisms by which the brain generates seizures. It is well known that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in status epilepticus (SE). Salidroside (SDS) extracted from Rhodiola rosea L. shows multiple bioactive properties, such as neuroprotection and antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. This study explored the role of SDS in kainic acid (KA)-induced SE and investigated the underlying mechanism. Latency to SE increased in the SDS-pretreated mice compared to the KA group, while the percentage of incidence of SE was significantly reduced. These results suggested that pretreatment with SDS not only delayed SE, but it also decreased the incidence of SE induced by KA. KA increased MDA level and reduced the production of SOD and GSH at multiple timepoints after KA administration. SDS inhibited the change of MDA, SOD and GSH induced by KA prior to SE onset, indicating that SDS protects against KA-induced SE via suppressing oxidative stress. Based on these results, we investigated the possible molecular mechanism of SDS. Pretreatment with SDS reversed the KA-induced decrease in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); increased the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) deacetylase activity in KA-treated mice, which had no demonstrable effect on SIRT1 mRNA and protein; and suppressed the KA-induced increase in Ace-FoxO1. These results showed that AMPK/SIRT1/FoxO1 signaling is possibly the molecular mechanism of neuroprotection by SDS.

Quantitative determination of three active ingredients for quality evaluation of Angelica dahurica / 中国中药杂志

A HPLC method has been developed in the current investigation for simultaneous determination of three chemical markers of by akangelicin, imperatorin and isoimperatorin in Radix Angelicae Dahuricae. Separation was performed at 30 degrees C. on achromatographic column of Platisil ODS C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase was acetonitrile-water. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1) and the detection wavelength was 254 nm. The results showed that the three chemical markers could be well resolved and that in the selected linear range, all calibration curves of the three chemical markers showed good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.999 8). The recoveries of byakangelicin, imperatorin and isoimperatorin were 100.83%, 100.10% and 103.52%, respectively, and RSD were 1.7%, 0.77% and 0.41% (n = 6), respectively. The data suggested that the developed HPLC method had good reproducibility, robustness, and accuracy, which was suitable for the quality control of Radix Angelicae Dahuricae. Applications of this method showed that the three chemical markers had higher contents in the Bozhou Anhui and Changge Henan than others.

The protective mechanism study of fengshiqing recipe against bone destruction in CIA rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the protective mechanism of Fengshiqing Recipe (FR) against bone destruction in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were divided into four groups in the experiment,i.e., the blank control group, the model group, the MTX group (MTX, 1 mg/1 000 g), and the FR group (24 g crude FR/kg). The CIA model was prepared except the blank control group. Medication was started in the MTX group and the FR group from the 14th day after modeling to the 56th day. The toe volume was measured on every Tuesday and Friday. Expression levels of serum IL-17, RANKL, MIP-1alpha were detected after 3-and 6-week intervention. The bone scintigraphy with nuclide (SPECT), bone mineral density (BMD), and the pathological section were observed to assess the intervention of drugs of heat clearing blood activating actions in the bone destruction of CIA rats.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From the 10th day of modeling, the volume of both toes started to swell and reached the peak at about 21 days. It was obviously shrunk at about 30 days. Of them, the swelling degree was milder in the MTX group and the FR group than in the model group. Compared with the model group at the same phase, the levels of IL-17 and RANKL decreased in the MTX group after 3 weeks of intervention (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The IL-17 level decreased in the FR group after three weeks of intervention (P < 0.05). The RANKL level decreased in the MTX group and the FR group after 6 weeks of intervention (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group and the MTX group, the overall BMD and ankle BMD increased in the FR group after 6 weeks of intervention (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The ankle ROI/mandible and the toe ROI/mandible were elevated in the FR group after 3 weeks of intervention (P < 0.05). Pathological results suggested that the joint lacunae was significantly widened, the hyperplasia of the synovial tissue was so severe, and the bone tissue was destroyed in the model group. Compared with the model group, the aforesaid conditions were significantly improved in the MTX group and the FR group. The cartilage structure was complete.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QR could inhibit decreased BMD, prevent bone destruction, which might be achieved by down-regulating expression levels of IL-17, RANKL, and MIP-1alpha through the osteo immunological Th/RANKL system,inhibiting maturation and differentiation of osteoclasts, thereby, inhibiting bone destruction.</p>

[Differentiation of vegetation characteristics on slope micro-topography of fenced watershed in loess area of north Shaanxi Province, Northwest China].

Based on the investigation data of the vegetations in Hegou valley in Wuqi County of Shaanxi Province, this paper studied the vegetation characteristics on the five typical micro-topography categories including shallow gully, gully, collapse, platform, and scarp in the loess area of north Shaanxi, with the undisturbed slope as the control. There existed distinct differences in the species composition, quantitative characteristics, and species diversity of plant communities on the five typical micro-topography categories and the undisturbed slope. After twelve years of enclosure recovery, the study area formed herbaceous plant community, with Artemisia sacrorum and Artemisia giraldii as the dominant species. Among the main companion species, shrubs such as Prinsepia uniflora and Caragana korshinskii were found in scarp and gully, and hygrophyte Phragmites australis appeared in platform. The coverage, height, and biomass of the plant communities on most of the micro-topography categories, especially on the gully and collapse, were larger than those on the undisturbed slope. The Shannon index on the micro-topography categories and undisturbed slope was in the order of scarp > gully > shallow gully > undisturbed slope > platform > collapse.

Binding of 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyazepanes to the acid-ß-glucosidase active site: implications for pharmacological chaperone design for Gaucher disease.

Pharmacologic chaperoning is a therapeutic strategy being developed to improve the cellular folding and trafficking defects associated with Gaucher disease, a lysosomal storage disorder caused by point mutations in the gene encoding acid-ß-glucosidase (GCase). In this approach, small molecules bind to and stabilize mutant folded or nearly folded GCase in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), increasing the concentration of folded, functional GCase trafficked to the lysosome where the mutant enzyme can hydrolyze the accumulated substrate. To date, the pharmacologic chaperone (PC) candidates that have been investigated largely have been active site-directed inhibitors of GCase, usually containing five- or six-membered rings, such as modified azasugars. Here we show that a seven-membered, nitrogen-containing heterocycle (3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyazepane) scaffold is also promising for generating PCs for GCase. Crystal structures reveal that the core azepane stabilizes GCase in a variation of its proposed active conformation, whereas binding of an analogue with an N-linked hydroxyethyl tail stabilizes GCase in a conformation in which the active site is covered, also utilizing a loop conformation not seen previously. Although both compounds preferentially stabilize GCase to thermal denaturation at pH 7.4, reflective of the pH in the ER, only the core azepane, which is a mid-micromolar competitive inhibitor, elicits a modest increase in enzyme activity for the neuronopathic G202R and the non-neuronopathic N370S mutant GCase in an intact cell assay. Our results emphasize the importance of the conformational variability of the GCase active site in the design of competitive inhibitors as PCs for Gaucher disease.

Relationship between Chinese medicine pattern with blood levels of sex hormone, lipid and glucose in climacteric women patients with hypertension / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To find the objective indices for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pattern identification in women patients with climacteric hypertension (CH) by exploring the relationship between TCM pattern with blood levels of sex hormone, lipid and glucose.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>TCM syndrome differentiation was made in 75 women CH patients, 43 as yin-deficiency with inner dryness pattern (YDD) and 32 as non-YDD, and correlation analyses were conducted on TCM patterns and blood levels of estradiol (E2), lipids and glucose.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Besides the level of E2 in YDD was lower than that in non-YDD [(112.26 -/+ 66.81) pmol/L vs (146.69 +/- 83.59) pmol/L, P < 0.05), no difference between the two patterns was found in the other indices measured (P > 0.05). Further subunit analysis showed that in patients with CH grade 1, blood levels of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and apoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) were higher in the 13 patients of YDD than those in the 9 of non-TDD (P < 0.05); in patients with CH grade 2, levels of E2, progesterone (T), HDL and ApoA-I were lower but level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was higher in the 20 YDD than those in the 10 non-YDD (all P < 0.05); while in patients with CH grade, no statistically significant difference was shown between 3 patients of 10 with YDD and 13 with non-YDD in all the indices measured (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Blood level of E2 shows different characteristics between CH patients of YDD and non-YDD patterns, suggesting that it may provide some help to syndrome micro-differentiation, and taking it as an objective index for syndrome typing of climacteric hypertension in female is considerable.</p>