High-Mobility Compensated Semimetals, Orbital Magnetization, and Umklapp Scattering in Bilayer Graphene Moiré Superlattices.

Twist-controlled moiré superlattices (MSs) have emerged as a versatile platform for realizing artificial systems with complex electronic spectra. The combination of Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) can give rise to an interesting MS, which has recently featured a set of unexpected behaviors, such as unconventional ferroelectricity and the electronic ratchet effect. Yet, the understanding of the electronic properties of BLG/hBN MS has, at present, remained fairly limited. Here, we combine magneto-transport and low-energy sub-THz excitation to gain insights into the properties of this MS. We demonstrate that the alignment between BLG and hBN crystal lattices results in the emergence of compensated semimetals at some integer fillings of the moiré bands, separated by van Hove singularities where the Lifshitz transition occurs. A particularly pronounced semimetal develops when eight holes reside in the moiré unit cell, where coexisting high-mobility electron and hole systems feature strong magnetoresistance reaching 2350% already at B = 0.25 T. Next, by measuring the THz-driven Nernst effect in remote bands, we observe valley splitting, indicating an orbital magnetization characterized by a strongly enhanced effective gv-factor of 340. Finally, using THz photoresistance measurements, we show that the high-temperature conductivity of the BLG/hBN MS is limited by electron-electron umklapp processes. Our multifaceted analysis introduces THz-driven magnetotransport as a convenient tool to probe the band structure and interaction effects in van der Waals materials and provides a comprehensive understanding of the BLG/hBN MS.

Polydopamine-Modified 2D Iron (II) Immobilized MnPS3 Nanosheets for Multimodal Imaging-Guided Cancer Synergistic Photothermal-Chemodynamic Therapy.

Manganese phosphosulphide (MnPS3 ), a newly emerged and promising member of the 2D metal phosphorus trichalcogenides (MPX3 ) family, has aroused abundant interest due to its unique physicochemical properties and applications in energy storage and conversion. However, its potential in the field of biomedicine, particularly as a nanotherapeutic platform for cancer therapy, has remained largely unexplored. Herein, a 2D "all-in-one" theranostic nanoplatform based on MnPS3 is designed and applied for imaging-guided synergistic photothermal-chemodynamic therapy. (Iron) Fe (II) ions are immobilized on the surface of MnPS3 nanosheets to facilitate effective chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Upon surface modification with polydopamine (PDA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), the obtained Fe-MnPS3 /PDA-PEG nanosheets exhibit exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency (η = 40.7%) and proficient pH/NIR-responsive Fenton catalytic activity, enabling efficient photothermal therapy (PTT) and CDT. Importantly, such nanoplatform can also serve as an efficient theranostic agent for multimodal imaging, facilitating real-time monitoring and guidance of the therapeutic process. After fulfilling the therapeutic functions, the Fe-MnPS3 /PDA-PEG nanosheets can be efficiently excreted from the body, alleviating the concerns of long-term retention and potential toxicity. This work presents an effective, precise, and safe 2D "all-in-one" theranostic nanoplatform based on MnPS3 for high-efficiency tumor-specific theranostics.

Cytoprotective effects of spleen-invigorating pill against 5-fluorouracil injury to mouse bone marrow stromal cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Spleen-invigorating pills (SIP) are composed of Codonopsis, fried Atractylodes, tangerine peel, Fructus aurantii immaturus (fried), fried hawthorn, and colored malt. SIP strengthens the spleen and increases appetite and is often used as a chemotherapy adjuvant. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to explore the protective effects and mechanism of action for SIP on mouse bone marrow stromal cells (OP9) injured by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of SIP on OP9 cells injured by 5-FU were evaluated, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used as a quality control method. The experiments were divided into a control group, a model group, an epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment group, and an SIP treatment group. The cell survival rate, apoptotic cell morphology, cell apoptosis rate, and the contents of caspase 3 were evaluated to determine the protective effects of SIP in OP9 cells injured by 5-FU. Network pharmacology was used to predict the mechanism through which SIP mediates anti-chemotherapy damage. The nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels and the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) and p62 protein were detected to explore the mechanism through which SIP mediates anti-chemotherapy damage through the regulation of oxidative stress. RESULTS: Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) detection showed that 5-FU reduced OP9 cell survival, and SIP blocked the inhibition of OP9 cell growth induced by 5-FU. When OP9 cells were treated with both SIP (10 g L-1) and 5-FU (2.5 × 10-2 g L-1) for 24 h, compared with the model group, the early apoptosis rates significantly decreased, and the activity of caspase 3 was significantly reduced. The results of network pharmacology and Western blot showed that compared with the model group, in the SIP group, the NO levels decreased, iNOS release decreased, and the expression of Nrf2 and p62 proteins increased. CONCLUSION: The protective effects of SIP on OP9 cells injured by 5-FU were significant. SIP may play a cytoprotective role by mediating changes in oxidative stress-related proteins. The specific mechanism of action through which SIP mediates these effects remains to be further studied.

Effect of immunonutrition on colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Immunonutrition has been used to prevent the complications after colorectal elective surgery. This systematic review aimed to analyze and assess the effect of immunonutrition on colorectal cancer patients who received elective surgery. METHODS: Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane) were used to search the latent studies which investigated the effects of enteral immunonutrition (EIN) compared with standard enteral nutrition (EN) or parenteral immunonutrition (PIN) compared with standard parenteral nutrition (PN) on colorectal cancer patients who are undergoing surgery until 21st of April, 2017. Meta-analysis was conducted to calculate odd risk (OR), mean difference (MD), or standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity was tested by Q test. RESULTS: Nine publications were included. The meta-analysis results presented that EIN improved the length of hospital stay (pooled MD, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.29-3.41), infectious complications (pooled OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21-0.53) which contains the Surgical Site Infections (pooled OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.22-0.58) and Superficial/Deep incisional infections (pooled OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.12-0.64); meanwhile, PIN improved the length of hospital stay (pooled MD, 2.66; 95% CI, 0.62-4.76), IL-6 (pooled MD, - 6.09; 95% CI, - 10.11 to - 2.07), CD3 (pooled MD, 7.50; 95% CI, 3.57-11.43), CD4 (pooled MD, 5.47; 95% CI, 2.54-8.40), and CD4/CD8 (pooled MD, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.22-0.78); the level of CD8 was lower (pooled MD, - 4.32; 95% CI, - 7.09 to - 1.55) in PIN. CONCLUSION: Immunonutrition could be an effective approach to enhance the immune function of colorectal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery and to improve the clinical and laboratory outcomes.

Electroacupuncture attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in obese rats.

BACKGROUND: Electroacupuncture (EA) may offer an effective alternative approach for the treatment of obesity. EA mobilizes energy stores, but its effect on hepatic lipid metabolism is unknown, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of EA on hepatic lipid accumulation in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats, and to explore potential underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a normal diet (control group, n=10) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks to induce obesity. Those exhibiting diet-induced obesity were subdivided into two groups, one receiving EA (DIO+EA group, n=10) and one left untreated (DIO group, n=10) and observed for a further 4 weeks. Body, liver and fat pad weight were measured, and liver injury was assessed histologically as well as by measuring serum values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Hepatic triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol were quantified by enzymatic colorimetric methods. Expression of liver AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-1) was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: EA treatment led to a reduction in body, liver and fat pad weight in DIO rats. This was accompanied by decreases in hepatic TG and total cholesterol values, fatty droplet accumulation, and serum concentrations of ALT and AST. Furthermore, EA treatment restored phosphorylation levels of AMPK (Thr(172)) and ACC (Ser(79)) inhibited by HFD, and increased CPT-1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: EA reduces HFD-induced hepatic lipid accumulation, an effect that appears to be mediated through AMPK signalling pathways. Our results shed new light on the mechanisms by which EA may reduce obesity.

Research progress on synergistic anti-tumor mechanisms of compounds in traditional Chinese medicine.

The curative effects of Chinese herbal compounds result from the coordination of numerous natural compounds. We aimed to review the mechanism of action of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) compounds (TCMC), explore the rationality of formulation theory and synergistic effects in TCM compounds, and analyze the effectiveness of drug compatibility of TCMC in molecular biology. This literature review covers the mechanisms of the anti-tumor effects of compounds, and their synergistic antitumor mechanisms. We aim to provide reference for the effective development and use of natural resources and the organic combination of TCM and modern medicine using molecular biology.

Paeoniflorin protects cells from GalN/TNF-α-induced apoptosis via ER stress and mitochondria-dependent pathways in human L02 hepatocytes.

Paeoniflorin (PF) is one of the main effective components extracted from the root of Paeonia lactiflora, which has been used clinically to treat hepatitis in traditional Chinese medicine, but the details of the underlying mechanism remain unknown. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanism of protective effect of PF on d-galactosamine (GalN) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced cell apoptosis using human L02 hepatocytes. Our results confirmed that PF could attenuate GalN/TNF-α-induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and the disturbance of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration were also recovered by PF. Western blot analysis revealed that GalN/TNF-α induced the activation of a number of signature endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial markers, while PF pre-treatment had a marked dose-dependent suppression on them. Additionally, the anti-apoptotic effect of PF was further evidenced by the inhibition of caspase-3/9 activities in L02 cells. These findings suggest that PF can effectively inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis and the underlying mechanism is related to the regulating mediators in ER stress and mitochondria-dependent pathways.

A novel herbal formula induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in association with suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway in human lung cancer A549 cells.

AIM OF THE STUDY: In recent years, the incidence of lung cancer, as well as the mortality rate from this disease, has increased. Moreover, because of acquired drug resistance and adverse side effects, the effectiveness of current therapeutics used for the treatment of lung cancer has decreased significantly. Chinese medicine has been shown to have significant antitumor effects and is increasingly being used for the treatment of cancer. However, as the mechanisms of action for many Chinese medicines are undefined, the application of Chinese medicine for the treatment of cancer is limited. The formula tested has been used clinically by the China National Traditional Chinese Medicine Master, Professor Zhonging Zhou for treatment of cancer. In this article, we examine the efficacy of Ke formula in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and elucidate its mechanism of action. METHODS: A Balb/c nude mouse xenograft model using A549 cells was previously established. The mice were randomly divided into normal, mock, Ke, cisplatin (DDP), and co-formulated (Ke + DDP) groups. After 15 days of drug administration, the animals were sacrificed, body weight and tumor volume were recorded, and the tumor-inhibiting rate was calculated. A cancer pathway finder polymerase chain reaction array was used to monitor the expression of 88 genes in tumor tissue samples. The potential antiproliferation mechanism was also investigated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Ke formula minimized chemotherapy-related weight loss in tumor-bearing mice without exhibiting distinct toxicity. Ke formula also inhibited tumor growth, which was associated with the downregulation of genes in the PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and WNT/ß-catenin pathways. The results from Western blot analyses further indicated that Ke blocked the cell cycle progression at the G1/S phase and induced apoptosis mainly via the PI3K/AKT pathway. CONCLUSION: Ke formula inhibits tumor growth in an A549 xenograft mouse model with no obvious side effects. Moreover, Ke exhibits synergistic antitumor effects when combined with DDP. The mechanism of action of Ke is to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway. Further research will be required to determine the mechanism of action behind the synergistic effect of Ke and DDP.

Metabonomic study on the antidepressant-like effects of banxia houpu decoction and its action mechanism.

The aim of this study was to establish an experimental model for metabonomic profiles of the rat's brain and then to investigate the antidepressant effect of Banxia Houpu decoction (BHD) and its possible mechanisms. Behavioral research and metabonomics method based on UPLC-MS were used to assess the efficacy of different fractions of BHD on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression. There was a significant difference between the BHD group and the model group. Eight endogenous metabolites, which are contributing to the separation of the model group and control group, were detected, while BHD group regulated the perturbed metabolites showing that there is a tendency of recovery compared to control group. Therefore, we think that those potential metabolite biomarkers have some relationship with BHD's antidepression effect. This work appraised the antidepressant effect of Banxia Houpu decoction as well as revealing a metabonomics method, a valuable parameter in the TCM research.

[HPLC and UPLC-MS detection of 5-HMF from rabbit ncurolymph after treated with Cornus officinalis].

OBJECTIVE: To detect 5-HMF from rabbit ncurolymph after given different dosage of Cornus officinalis via intragastric administration by HPLC and UPLC-MS. METHODS: Rabbit ncurolymph was cramped out three days after given low, medium, and high dosage of Cornus officinalis. 5-HMF from rabbit ncurolymph was detected with HPLC and UPLC-MS, respectively. RESULTS: 5-HMF from rabbit ncurolymph was detected with HPLC method only in rabbits given high dose group. Meanwhile, 5-HMF could be detected with UPLC-MS method in rabbits given medium as well as low dose group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 5-HMF can cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) of rabbits and enter the rabbit ncurolymph.

Logical thinking in pattern differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the application of logic to pattern differentiation for treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). METHODS: Comparing logic reasoning of syllogism with the logical thinking of TCM pattern differentiation for treatment. RESULTS: TCM logical thinking depends on symbolic and intuitive judgment with abstractive reasoning integrated into the process. Although it lacks quantitative measurement, it pays great attention to the comprehensive analysis of a disease's cause and its development patterns to get insight into the essence of illness. CONCLUSION: TCM diagnosis reasoning method may lack rigorousness, continuity, systematic induction and deduction, but its logical thinking still can attain its goal following a process with rigorous, regulated and scientific formal logic.

Ophiopogonin B-induced autophagy in non-small cell lung cancer cells via inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Ophiopogonin B (OP-B) is a bioactive component of Radix Ophiopogon Japonicus, which is often used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat pulmonary disease. However, whether or not OP-B has any potential antitumor activity has not been reported. Here, we show that the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines NCI-H157 and NCI-H460 treated with OP-B grow more slowly and accumulate vacuoles in their cytoplasm compared to untreated control cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the cells were arrested in G0/G1 phase. Nuclear morphology, Annexin-V/PI staining, and expression of cleaved caspase-3 all confirm that OP-B does not induce apoptosis. Instead, based on results from both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II), we determined that OP-B treatment induced autophagy in both cell lines. Next, we examined the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and found that OP-B inhibited phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473, Thr308) in NCI-H157 cells and also inhibited several key components of the pathway in NCI-H460 cells, such as p-Akt(Ser473, Thr308), p-p70S6K (Thr389). Additionally, insulin-mediated activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway provides evidence that activation of this pathway may correlate with induction of autophagy in H460 cells. Therefore, OP-B is a prospective inhibitor of PI3K/Akt and may be used as an alternative compound to treat NSCLC.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from wine-processed Fructus corni inhibits hippocampal neuron apoptosis.

Previous studies have shown that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, a compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni, has a protective effect on hippocampal neurons. The present study was designed to explore the related mechanisms. Our study revealed that high and medium doses (10, 1 µmol/L) of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural could improve the morphology of H2O2-treated rat hippocampal neurons as revealed by inverted phase-contrast microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. MTT results showed that incubation with high and medium doses of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural caused a significant increase in the viability of neuronal cells injured by H2O2. Flow cytometry assays firmed that H2O2 could induce cell apoptosis, while high and medium doses of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural had a visible protective effect on apoptotic rat hippocampal neurons. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis showed that high and medium doses of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural prevented H2O2-induced up-regulation of p53, Bax and caspase-3 and an-tagonized the down-regulation of Bcl-2 induced by H2O2 treatment. These results suggested that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural could inhibit apoptosis of cultured rat hippocampal neurons injured by H2O2 via increase in Bcl-2 levels and decrease in p53, Bax and caspase-3 protein expression levels.

Association among lifestyle, clinical examination, polymorphisms in CDH1 gene and Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome differentiation of gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association among life-style, clinical examination, polymorphisms in CDH1 gene and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation of gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: A hospital-based population of 387 GC patients was investigated in Jiangsu province. Relevant information regarding lifestyle and clinical examination were collected by a standard questionnaire. Four known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CDH1 were investigated by polymerase chain reaction-ligation detection reaction methods. Statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS 16.0 software. RESULTS: The results showed that meal duration and the status of glutamic pyruvic transaminase were significantly associated with TCM syndrome differentiation of GC (both P < 0.05). None of the four SNPs in the E-cadherin (CDH1) gene achieved significant differences in their distributions among the nine syndrome types of GC (both P > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in rs13689 genotype distributions between several pairs of syndrome types of GC, suggesting that rs13689 is correlated with the syndrome differentiation of GC. CONCLUSION: Integrated analysis of lifestyle, clinical examination and CDH1 gene polymorphisms can contribute to a better understanding of the GC syndrome types and may improve the efficacy of interventions by stratifying disease according to TCM criteria.

Relationship between EGF, TGFA, and EGFR Gene Polymorphisms and Traditional Chinese Medicine ZHENG in Gastric Cancer.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), correct syndrome differentiation is the most important principle guiding the prescription of Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). We aimed to reveal the genetic mechanisms underlying GC syndrome differentiation (ZHENG) in a population of 387 GC patients. Twenty-nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in EGF, TGFA, and EGFR were investigated. Two SNPs, rs11466285 in TGFA and rs884225 in EGFR, were significantly associated with the distribution of ZHENG (P < 0.05). The rs11466285 TT genotype increased the risk of damp heat with toxin (DHT) and deficiency of both Qi and yin (DQY) compared with obstruction of blood stasis (OBS). The rs884225 AA genotype could increase the risk of DQY and deficiency of both Qi and blood (DQB) compared with yin deficiency due to stomach heat (YDSH). Parallel comparison among the SNPs and syndrome types revealed that DQB was distinct from YDSH, disharmony between the liver and stomach, stagnation of phlegm muddiness (SPM), OBS, and other syndromes at several SNP loci (P < 0.05). The rs11466285 TT and rs884225 AA genotypes exhibit increased risk of DQB compared with OBS and SPM (P < 0.05), respectively. In conclusion, the formation of GC ZHENG was related to EGF, TGFA, and EGFR gene polymorphisms.

The novel antidote Bezoar Bovis prevents the cardiotoxicity of Toad (Bufo bufo gargarizans Canto) Venom in mice.

Toad Venom, called chansu (CS) in China, is an anti-inflammatory drug used in small doses for the treatment of various types of inflammation in China. Its use is hampered by the cardiotoxicity of bufadienolides derived from Toad Venom. Bezoar Bovis is another frequently used drug in Toad Venom preparations for the treatment of inflammatory or cardiovascular diseases in Asia. We explored whether Bezoar Bovis could protect against CS-induced acute toxicity in mice. Toxicity was assessed by the general features of poisoning, electrocardiography (ECG), and levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and calcium ions (Ca(2+)) in cardiac tissues. Toad Venom (90 mg/kg) caused opisthotonus, ventricular arrhythmias, and increases in cardiac levels of Ca(2+), CK and LDH. Pretreatment with Bezoar Bovis (120, 240 and 480 mg/kg) significantly reduced the prevalence of opisthotonus and mortality, and prevented cardiotoxicity in CS-treated mice as evidenced by decreases in the scores of arrhythmias and cardiac levels of CK, LDH and Ca(2+). Furthermore, the bilirubin, and taurine derived from Bezoar Bovis offered marked protection against the arrhythmias induced by CS or bufalin in vivo and in vitro. An anti-inflammatory study showed that Bezoar Bovis did not compromise the anti-inflammatory activity of Toad Venom on concanavalin-A (ConA)-stimulated proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results suggested that Bezoar Bovis elicited protective and anti-arrhythmic effects against Toad Venom intoxication in mice, and is a novel antidote in combination with Toad Venom therapy.

[Cell continuous extraction-HPLC determination biological affinity of 8 bufadienolides on MGC-803 cells and their correlation with anti-tumor activities].

OBJECTIVE: To study the bioaffinity between 8 bufadienolides(Bu) and tumor cells and analyze the correlation between the bioaffinity and the anti-tumor activities of Bu. METHOD: Mix and cultivate the chloroform extract of Chansu and MGC-803. Measure the content of 8 Bu in supernatant and cells using HPLC and calculate their affinity rate. RESULT: The coefficient correlation between the decrease of Bu in cell supernatant after affinity and its MGC-803 restrictive activities, and between the cotent percentage of the free Bu in free cells with its MGC-803 restrictive activities, and between the difference between the decrease and the percentage and its MGC-803 restrictive activities is r = 0.82 (P < 0.05), r = -0.04 and r = 0.83 (P < 0.05) respectively. CONCLUSION: Eight Bu have different levels of affinity with MGC-803 which correlate with their anti-tumor activities.

Evaluation of the analgesic activities of the crude aqueous extract and fractions of Shao Fu Zhu Yu decoction.

CONTEXT: Shao Fu Zhu Yu decoction (SFD), a well-known Chinese medicine, has been used for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in China for more than 200 years. OBJECTIVE: A crude water extract and four fractions from SFD were evaluated for their analgesic activities for the purpose of validating the ethnomedical use of SFD. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The analgesic activities were studied by measuring nociception using acetic acid-induced abdominal contractions, the hot-plate test, formalin-induced licking and oxytocin-induced writhing in estrogen-treated mouse models. Prostaglandin E(2) and nitric oxide production in cultured lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated macrophage cells were determined. Chemical components were separated and identified in the SFD analgesic fractions using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). RESULTS: Oral SFD exerted significant analgesic activities in all nociceptive models except the hot-plate test. The activity-guided fractionation demonstrated that the SFD-40% fraction was the most potent with marked inhibition of pain responses at a dose of 54 mg/kg in vivo, and significantly inhibited prostaglandin E(2) and nitric oxide production in LPS-treated mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Further UPLC-MS analysis showed the presence of several chemical components in the SFD-40% fraction, including ferulic acid, paeoniflorin, typhaneoside, and isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that SFD has significant peripheral analgesic activities, mainly attributed to the SFD-40% fraction, and supports the use of SFD in traditional Chinese medicine.

Shenqi fuzheng, an injection concocted from Chinese medicinal herbs, combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Platinum-based chemotherapy has been a standard therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but it has high toxicity. In China, Shenqi Fuzheng, a newly developed injection concocted from Chinese medicinal herbs has been reported that may increase efficacy and reduce toxicity when combined with platinum-based chemotherapy, but little is known about it outside of China. The aim of this study was to systematically review the existing clinical evidence on Shenqi Fuzheng Injection(SFI) combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC. METHODS: Pubmed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and CBM search were organized for all documents published, in English and Chinese, until April 2010. The randomized controlled clinical trials were selected based on specific criteria, in which a SFI plus platinum-based chemotherapy treatment group was compared with a platinum-based chemotherapy control group for patients with advanced NSCLC. The quality of studies was assessed by modified Jadad's scale, and Revman 4.2 software was used for data syntheses and analyses. RESULTS: Twenty nine studies were included in this review based on our selection criteria. Of them, ten studies were of high quality and the rest were of low quality, according to the modified Jadad scale. The meta-analysis showed there was a statistically significant higher tumor response (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.32; P = 0.001) and performance status ((RR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.45 to 1.70; P < 0.00001); but lower severe toxicity for WBC (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.47; P < 0.00001), PLT (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.52; P < 0.00001), HB (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.66; P < 0.0001) and nausea and vomiting (RR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.47; P < 0.00001), when the SFI plus platinum-based chemotherapy treatment group was compared with the platinum-based chemotherapy control group. Sensitivity analysis was restricted to studies with the high quality, and the result was similar when the studies with low quality were excluded. Asymmetry was observed in a funnel plot analysis, and Egger's test also indicated an evidence of publication bias (P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: SFI intervention appears to be useful to increase efficacy and reduce toxicity when combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC, although this result needs to be further verified by more high-quality trials.

[Mechanisms of proliferative inhibition by maimendong & qianjinweijing decoction in A549 cells].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese medicine is an approach for malignant tumor treatment with Chinese characteristics. The aim of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effects of Maimendong & qianjinweijing decoction extract on A549 human lung cancer cell line proliferation and explored its probable molecular mechanisms. METHODS: A549 cells were treated with drugs in different does and time. The effects on the proliferation of A549 cells were detected by MTT assay and clonogenic assay in vitro. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Morphological changes of the apoptosis of cancer cells were observed by Hochest 33258 staining. Western blot was performed to detect apoptosis-related gene expression. RESULTS: Ethyl acetate extract inhibited the growth of A549 cells but not in HFL-1 cells. Compared with controls, administration of 10 microg/mLethyl acetate extract resulted in 73.86% decrease in colony formation (P < 0.01), apoptotic rates of 33.86% (P < 0.01), and morphological changes of apoptosis in A549 cells. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein EGFR and ERK were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Ethyl acetate extract might inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in A549 cells via downregulation of EGFR/ERK signal transduction pathway. Therefore, ethyl acetate extract should be further separated in order to identify the material fundamentals on anti-cancer effect.