Transcriptome analysis revealed enrichment pathways and regulation of gene expression associated with somatic embryogenesis in Camellia sinensis.

The high frequency, stable somatic embryo system of tea has still not been established due to the limitations of its own characteristics and therefore severely restricts the genetic research and breeding process of tea plants. In this study, the transcriptome was used to illustrate the mechanisms of gene expression regulation in the somatic embryogenesis of tea plants. The number of DEGs for the (IS intermediate stage)_PS (preliminary stage), ES (embryoid stage)_IS and ES_PS stages were 109, 2848 and 1697, respectively. The enrichment analysis showed that carbohydrate metabolic processes were considerably enriched at the ES_IS stage and performed a key role in somatic embryogenesis, while enhanced light capture in photosystem I could provide the material basis for carbohydrates. The pathway analysis showed that the enriched pathways in IS_PS process were far less than those in ES_IS or ES_PS, and the photosynthesis and photosynthetic antenna protein pathway of DEGs in ES_IS or ES_PS stage were notably enriched and up-regulated. The key photosynthesis and photosynthesis antenna protein pathways and the Lhcb1 gene were discovered in tea plants somatic embryogenesis. These results were of great significance to clarify the mechanism of somatic embryogenesis and the breeding research of tea plants.

Effects of Astragalus Polysaccharide on Mechanical Characterization of Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells by Atomic Force Microscopy at Nanoscale.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), the primary effective component of the Chinese herb medicine Astragalus membranaceus (frequently used for its anti-hepatic fibrosis effects), on nanoscale mechanical properties of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs). METHODS: Using endothelial cell medium as the control, 5 experimental groups were established utilizing different concentrations of APS, i.e. 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL. By using atomic force microscopy along with a microcantilever modified with a silicon dioxide microsphere as powerful tools, the value of Young's modulus in each group was calculated. SAS 9.1 software was applied to analyze the values of Young's modulus at the pressed depth of 300 nm. Environmental scanning electron microscopy was performed to observe the surface microtopography of the SECs. RESULTS: The value of Young's modulus in each APS experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group: as APS concentration increased, the value of Young's modulus presented as an increasing trend. The difference between the low-concentration (12.5 and 25 µg/mL) and high-concentration (200 µg/mL) groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), but no significant differences were observed between moderateconcentration (50 and 100 µg/mL) groups versus low- or high-concentration groups (P>0.05). Surface topography demonstrated that APS was capable of increasing the total area of fenestrae. CONCLUSIONS: The values of Young's modulus increased along with increasing concentrations of APS, suggesting that the stiffness of SECs increases gradually as a function of APS concentration. The observed changes in SEC mechanical properties may provide a new avenue for mechanistic research of anti-hepatic fibrosis treatments in Chinese medicine.

[Intestinal absorption and metabolism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix decoction by in situ closed-loop method].

Biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS) emphasizes characteristic of the multi-component environment based on the drug solubility and permeability. In this study, the in situ closed-loop method combined with LC-MS technique was utilized to study the intestinal absorption and metabolism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix decoction (PLRD), providing selection basis for intestinal permeability components in CMMBCS. A total of 36 components were identified from PLRD. Among them, 17 components could be detected in the plasma sample, indicating that 17 components could be absorbed into blood, so these 17 components could be used as intestinal permeability evaluation components in CMMBCS. The other 19 components were not detected in the plasma sample, suggesting that they may not be absorbed or metabolized by the gut wall enzymes.

[A correlation research on Chinese medical syndromes of chronic heart failure and various complications].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between various complications of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients and Chinese medical syndromes, thus indicating distribution laws of Chinese medical syndromes in various complications of CHF patients. METHODS: Chinese medical syndrome typing was performed in 630 CHF patients by cross-sectional study of the demographic data, history of present diseases, related information on Chinese medical four diagnostic methods, and the distribution of complications. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the correlation of various complications of CHF patients and Chinese medical syndromes. RESULTS: In this study, recruited were common complications such as hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmia, hyperlipemia, and cerebral vascular accident, and so on. Main syndromes were sequenced as qi deficiency syndrome, blood stasis syndrome, water retention syndrome, yin deficiency syndrome, phlegm turbid syndrome, yang deficiency syndrome. Results of Logistic regression analysis indicated that correlation existed between common complications and Chinese medical syndromes. In CHF complicated hypertension patients, Logistic regression analysis showed qi deficiency syndrome and yang deficiency syndrome were negatively correlated with hypertension (P < 0.05). In CHF complicated diabetes patients, Logistic regression analysis showed phlegm turbid syndrome and water retention syndrome were positively correlated with diabetes (P < 0.05). In CHF complicated arrhythmia patients, there was no statistical difference in the distribution of each syndrome (P > 0.05). In CHF complicated hyperlipemia patients, Logistic regression analysis showed qi deficiency syndrome and water retention syndrome were negatively correlated with hyperlipemia (P < 0.05), while blood stasis syndrome, yin deficiency syndrome, and phlegm turbid syndrome were positively correlated with hyperlipemia (P < 0.01). In CHF complicated cerebral vascular accident patients, Logistic regression analysis showed qi deficiency syndrome and yang deficiency syndrome were negatively correlated with cerebral vascular accident (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There existed certain correlations between complications of CHF and the distribution of main Chinese medical syndromes. It could be used as guidance for treating CHF and its various complications by Chinese medicine and pharmacy.

[Diagnosis and treatment rule of traditional Chinese medicine for syndrome factors of chronic congestive heart failure: a study based on Shannon entropy method].

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this research is to systematically sort out and analyze available clinical documents for chronic congestive heart failure in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and to explore the diagnosis and treatment rule of TCM syndrome factors with data mining method. METHODS: Based on the China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), using "chronic heart failure" or "chronic congestive heart failure" or "chronic cardiac insufficiency" and "traditional Chinese medicine" or "syndrome" or "integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine" as keywords for literature selection, we used Shannon entropy nonlinear complex system method for the feature extraction after data preprocessing. RESULTS: The statistics showed that yang deficiency, qi deficiency, blood stasis, water retention, yin deficiency, and turbid phlegm were principal TCM syndrome factors; herbs of qi-tonifying, blood-activating, water-draining, phlegm-dispelling, exterior-releasing, interior-warming were main drugs for clinical application. The symptoms and Chinese herbs which intimately connect with TCM syndrome factors were extracted, while their diagnostic contribution degrees were quantified by correlation coefficient. The symptoms which had high scores were general syndromes while the symptoms which had low scores were specific manifestations of a certain patient. Common Chinese herbs corresponding to each syndrome factor were picked out, indirectly reflecting their frequencies in clinical application. CONCLUSION: Based on data mining of the relationship among the four diagnostic methods of TCM, syndrome factors and herbs, this study provided references for differentiation of TCM syndrome and selection of Chinese medicine according to clinical syndrome factors.

[Edaphic FTIR finger print and the area choice of Chinese herb culture].

UNLABELLED: In order to search for the difference of the soil of Chinese herb growth, and provide useful information for the area choice of Chinese herb culture, 53 soil samples were detected by FTIR. The results showed that all the samples have 8 peaks at 3,621, 3,425, 1,642, 1,435, 1,029, 878, 760 and 690 cm(-1), respectively, but the relative intensity is different. In addition, the peaks at 1,796, 2,982 and 2,874 cm(-1) show difference too. This can be used to distinguish soil in different area. The study also showed that soil in Tianshui and Dingxi of Gansu province are similar to that in Shanxi province. CONCLUSIONS: FTIR finger print of soil can provide useful information for the area choice of Chinese herb culture and transplantation and can be used in the study of soil.

[Gel electrophoresis analysis on plasma differential protein in patients with unstable angina of blood-stasis pattern].

OBJECTIVE: To seek the plasma differential proteins in patients with unstable angina of blood-stasis pattern (UA-BSS) for exploring the proteomic specialty in them by way of two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) detection on plasma of patients and healthy persons. METHODS: Using DIGE and tandem mass spectrometry, comparative proteomic study was conducted on the plasma of 12 UA patients of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis pattern (UA-QBS), 12 UA patients of phlegm-stasis cross-blocking pattern (UA-PSS) and 12 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Preliminary results showed that Haptoglobin beta chain, DBP, HBB, HBA, Transthyretin, ApoA- I, ApoA-IV were significantly differentially expressed in both patterns, while Haptoglobin alpha1 chain, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, ApoC-III, ApoA-II, ApoC-II, ApoJ, and Haptoglobin alpha 2 chain were only seen differentially expressed in the UA-PSS patients, alpha1-antitrypsin, Fibrinogen gamma chain, and Fibrin beta were only seen differentially expressed in UA-QBS patients. CONCLUSION: The common proteomics characteristics of patients of QBS and PSS patterns may be correlated with inflammatory reaction and metabolic disturbance (including blood lipid and blood oxygen).

[Study on Chinese herb Astragalus membranceus by FTIR fingerprint].

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study is to find new approach to identifying different growth years and different producing areas of astragalus membranceus simply and rapidly. The FTIR spectrometry, which is accurate, simple and efficient and has high resolution, was used to obtain the sample's FTIR spectrometry. After simple separation and extraction, the drying powder of the sample was detected. In 22 samples, there were 9 common peaks for identifying the authenticity of astragalus membranceus and 5 different peaks. According to the number, shape, and relative intensity of the peak, different growth years and different producing areas of astragalus membranceus can be distinguished. CONCLUSION: It is convenient and fast to identify different growth years and different producing areas of astragalus membranceus by FTIR fingerprint.

[Investigative strategy for research on biological basis of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome: feature selection-based data mining methods].

This paper is devoted to discussing two research patterns of biological basis of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and presenting a research strategy for data mining methods. It points out that data mining methods which are based on feature selection are better fit for investigating biological basis of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome. Based on such a discussion, the concept of "characteristic pattern" is proposed to bridge the gap between "golden index" and biological basis of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome. This paper presents a novel research avenue for investigating biological basis of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome.

[Study on proteomic specificity of unstable angina with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To seek the special plasma molecule in unstable angina (UA) patients of qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome (QDBS) and method for explore the proteomic specificity of the disease. METHODS: LC-MS(E) analysis was performed in UA patients of QDBS or non-QDBS and in healthy persons after the 6 proteins with optimal abundance in plasma being removed by polyclonal antibody affinity column (product of Agilent Co. USA). RESULTS: Actin were found only expressed, and FN, ApoH and ANXA6 were found highly expressed in plasma of patients with UA-QDBS, suggesting they might be the special molecules for the disease. Moreover, as compared with health persons, SAA, CP, MYH11 and C6 showed high expression, and the 6 proteins, e.g. A1BG, ApoA4, GSN, HBB, HBD and TF, showed low expression in the plasma of UA-QDBS patients. CONCLUSION: UA-QDBS might belong to a kind inflammatory reaction. There are simultaneous existence of myocardial injury, blood coagulation factor abnormality, lipid metabolic disorder and oxygen transport obstacle in patients of UA-QDBS, they influence and interact mutually. The newly discovered differential proteins might provide clues for studying or discovering new protein targets of angina relieving drugs. The new technique of label free quantitative proteomics is an efficient method for bio-marker research of diseases and syndromes.

[Effects of tetrandrine on nuclear factor-kappaB expression in leukemia multidrug-resistant cell line K562/A02].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of tetrandrine (Tet) on nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) expression in leukemia cell line K562 and multidrug-resistant K562/A02 cell line. METHODS: The activations of NF-kappaB in K562 and K562/A02 cells and the effects of 1 micromol/L Tet on NF-kappaB expression were determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot assay. RESULTS: Tet had no effect on NF-kappaB expression in K562 cells after 6- and 12-hour treatment (P>0.05), and K562/A02 cells displayed higher level of NF-kappaB protein expression than their parental K562 cells (P<0.01). Tet could significantly down-regulate NF-kappaB protein expression and nuclear translocation in K562/A02 cells shown by immunocytochemistry and Western blot, and this decrease became more significant after 12-hour treatment than after at 6-hour treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Activation of NF-kappaB may be related to multidrug resistance of K562/A02 cell line. And the inhibition of NF-kappaB activation by Tet leads to multidrug resistance reversal in K562/A02 cell line.

[Study of infrared spectroscopic analysis of Chinese traditional medicines Liuweidihuangwan].

Seven types Luiweidihuangwan from six factories were chosen, randomly sampled, ground after being broken and dried, stirred with KB, and pressed into tablets. Infrared spectra of the tablets were obtained and compared. It is concluded that infrared spectra can be used to qualitatively analyse and distinguish patent medicines from different factories with different types and batches.