Gold Nanocage-Based Multifunctional Nanosensitizers for Programmed Photothermal /Radiation/Chemical Coordinated Therapy Guided by FL/MR/PA Multimodal Imaging.

Background: Radiotherapy is one of the main clinical methods for the treatment of malignant tumors at present. However, its application is limited by the radiation resistance of some tumor cells and the irradiation damage to the surrounding normal tissues, and the limitation of radiotherapy dose also affects the therapeutic effect. Therefore, developing diagnostic and therapeutic agents with imaging and radiosensitizing functions is urgently needed to improve the accuracy and efficacy of radiotherapy. Materials and Strategy: Herein, we synthesized multifunctional nanotheranostic FRNPs nanoparticles based on gold nanocages (GNCs) and MnO2 for magnetic resonance (MR)/photoacoustic (PA) imaging and combined photothermal, radiosensitive and chemical therapy. A programmed therapy strategy based on FRNPs is proposed. First, photothermal therapy is applied to ablate large tumors and increase the sensitivity of the tumor tissue to radiotherapy, then X-ray radiation is performed to further reduce the tumor size, and finally chemotherapeutic agents are used to eliminate smaller residual tumors and distant metastases. Results: As revealed by fluorescence, MR and PA imaging, FRNPs achieved efficient aggregation and retention at tumor sites of mice after intravenous injection. In vivo studies have shown that the programmed treatment of FRNPs-injected nude mice which were exposed to X-ray after 808 laser irradiation achieved the greatest inhibition of tumor growth compared with other treatment groups. Moreover, no obvious systemic toxicity was observed in all groups of mice, indicating the good biocompatibility of FRNPs and the safety of the treatment scheme. Conclusion: To sum up, our work not only showed a new radiosensitizer, but also provided a promising theranostic strategy for cancer treatment.

Pharmacokinetic herb-drug interactions: Altered systemic exposure and tissue distribution of ciprofloxacin, a substrate of multiple transporters, after combined treatment with Polygonum capitatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don extracts.

Background: Combination of Polygonum capitatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don extract (PCE) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) was commonly prescribed in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Their pharmacokinetic herb-drug interactions (HDIs) were focused in this study to assess potential impact on the safety and effectiveness. Methods: A randomized, three-period, crossover trial was designed to study the pharmacokinetic HDI between PCE and CIP in healthy humans. Their pharmacokinetic- and tissue distribution-based HDIs were also evaluated in rats. Gallic acid (GA) and protocatechuic acid (PCA) were chosen as PK-markers of PCE in humans and rats. Potential drug interaction mechanisms were revealed by assessing the effects of PCE on the activity and expression of multiple transporters, including OAT1/3, OCT2, MDR1, and BCRP. Results: Concurrent use of PCE substantially reduced circulating CIP (approximately 40%-50%) in humans and rats, while CIP hardly changed circulating GA and PCA. PCE significantly increased the tissue distribution of CIP in the prostate and testis of rats, but decreased in liver and lungs. Meanwhile, CIP significantly increased the tissue distribution of GA or PCA in the prostate and testis of rats, but decreased in kidney and heart. In the transporter-mediated in vitro HDI, GA and PCA presented inhibitory effects on OAT1/3 and inductive effects on MDR1 and BCRP. Conclusion: Multiple transporter-mediated HDI contributes to effects of PCE on the reduced systemic exposure and altered tissue distribution of CIP. More attention should be paid on the potential for PCE-perpetrated interactions.

Exploring the molecular mechanism of action of Polygonum capitatum Buch-Ham. ex D. Don for the treatment of bacterial prostatitis based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: Polygonum capitatum Buch-Ham. ex D. Don (CNPC2009), a traditional Miao-national herbal medicine, has been widely used with considerable therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of various urologic disorders including prostatitis. However, the molecular mechanism of action (MOA) remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS and Network pharmacological methods were used to explore the underlying molecular MOA of Polygonum capitatum Buch-Ham. Ex D. Don (P.capitatum) for the treatment bacterial prostatitis (BP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS technique was used to identify the chemical components of P. capitatum. Databases such as SwissTargetPrediction, Gene Cards, and OMIM were used to predict the targets of P. capitatum for the treatment of BP. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) was used to analyze the protein-protein interaction (PPI) and construct a PPI network, and the Metascape was used for Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. In addition, experimental treatment of Escherichia coli (E.coli)-induced BP was verified. RESULTS: A total of 31 molecular components were identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS. Network pharmacology revealed that P. capitatum may act on the AKT1, PI3K, MTO, EGFR and other targets through active components such as Gallic acid, Quercetin, Luteolin, Protocatechuic Acid, Kaempferol and thereby regulate PI3K-AKT, ErbB, AMPK, HIF-1, and other signaling pathways to intervene in the pathological mechanism of BP. Verification through experimental results showed that compared with the model group, treatment with P. capitatum could significantly inhibit bacterial growth in prostate tissues, lowered the prostate index, down-regulated the levels of inflammatory mediators(IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α) in prostate tissues, and down-regulate the protein expression and mRNA expression levels of AKT and PI3K. CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily revealed the MOA of P. capitatum for treating BP with multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways, especially affecting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathways.

Duzhong Fang Attenuates the POMC-Derived Neuroinflammation in Parkinsonian Mice.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation and microglia reactivity are now recognized to be features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Thus, microglia phenotype is a potential new target for developing treatments against PD. Duzhong Fang (DZF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription. The theory of TCM argues that Duzhong Fang, nourishing yin and tonifying yang, may treat PD. However, its modern pharmacological studies and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. METHODS: First, MPTP was used to establish a parkinsonian mouse model, and behavioral testing was used to evaluate the locomotor dysfunction. Then, HPLC, immunohistochemical staining, and Western blot assays were performed to evaluate the survival of dopaminergic neurons. Molecular biological and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the neuroinflammation and microglial activation. In addition, RNA-seq transcriptomics was used to analyze differentially expressed genes and verify by RT-PCR. RESULTS: In the present study, we first confirmed that DZF can alleviate neuroinflammation and ameliorate dyskinesia in parkinsonian mice. Then, further studies found that DZF can regulate microglial morphology and reactivity and act on the POMC gene. POMC is an upstream target for regulating inflammation and proinflammatory cytokines, and DZF can directly inhibit the POMC level and restore the homeostatic signature of microglia in parkinsonian mice. CONCLUSION: This study found that POMC may have a potential role as a therapeutic target for PD. DZF may inhibit neuroinflammation and play an anti-PD effect by down-regulating the expression of POMC.

[Identification of chemical constituents in ethyl acetate soluble extract of Sinopodophylli Fructus based on HPLC-MS~n].

A high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector combined with electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry(HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MS~n, HPLC-MS~n) method was established for qualitative analysis of the chemical components of ethyl acetate extract from Sinopodophylli Fructus. The analysis was performed on a Kromasil 100-5 C_(18)(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) column, with a mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid(A) and acetonitrile(B) for gradient at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min~(-1). Electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry was applied for qualitative analysis under positive and negative ion modes. With use of reference substance, characteristic fragmentation and their HR-MS data, 102 components were identified, including 67 flavonoids and 35 lignans. Among them, 45 compounds were reported in Sinopodophylli Fructus for the first time and 19 compounds were identified as new compounds. PharmMapper was used to predict the bioactivity of compounds that were first reported in Sinopodophylli Fructus, and 20 compounds of them were identified to have potential anticancer activity. The results showed that there were many isomers in the ethyl acetate extract of Folium Nelumbinis, and a total of 19 groups of isomers were found. Among them, C_(21)H_(20)O_8 had the highest number of isomers(18 compounds), all of which were α-peltatin or its isomers; C_(21)H_(20)O_7 ranked second, with 10 compounds, all of which were 8-prenylquercetin-3-methyl ether or its isomers. In conclusion, an HPLC-MS~n method was established for qualitative analysis of the ethyl acetate extract(with anti-breast cancer activity) from Sinopodophylli Fructus in this study, which will provide the evidence for clarifying pharmacological active ingredients of the ethyl acetate extract from Sinopodophylli Fructus against breast cancer.

Manganese/iron-based nanoprobes for photodynamic/chemotherapy combination therapy of tumor guided by multimodal imaging.

Early diagnosis of tumors is crucial in selecting appropriate treatment options to achieve the desired therapeutic effect, but it is difficult to accurately diagnose cancer by a single imaging modality due to technical constraints. Therefore, we synthesized a type of Fe3O4 nanoparticle with manganese dioxide grown on the surface and then prepared it by loading photosensitive drugs and traditional Chinese medicine monomers to create an integrated diagnosis/treatment multifunctional nanoplatform: Fe3O4@MnO2-celastrol (CSL)/Ce6. This nanoplatform can have full advantage of the tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics of hypoxia (hypoxia), acidic pH (acidosis), and increased levels of reactive oxygen species (e.g., H2O2), even outside the TME. Specific imaging and drug release can also enhance tumor therapy by adjusting the hypoxic state of the TME to achieve the combined effect of chemotherapy (CT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Moreover, the obtained Fe3O4@MnO2-CSL/Ce6 has H2O2- and pH-sensitive biodegradation and can release the anticancer drug celastrol (CSL) and photosensitizer Ce6 in TME and simultaneously generate O2 and Mn2+. Therefore, the "dual response" synergistic strategy also confers specific drug release on nanomaterials, relieves tumor hypoxia and antioxidant capacity, and achieves significant optimization of CT and PDT. Furthermore, the resulting Mn2+ ions and Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be used for T1/T2 magnetic resonance imaging on tumor-bearing mice, and the released Ce6 can simultaneously provide fluorescence imaging functions. Therefore, Fe3O4@MnO2-CSL/Ce6 realized the synergistic treatment of PDT and CT under multimodal near-infrared fluorescence/photoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging monitoring, showing its great potential in the accurate medical treatment of tumors.

Characterization of the potent odorants in Tibetan Qingke Jiu by sensory analysis, aroma extract dilution analysis, quantitative analysis and odor activity values.

Tibetan Qingke Jiu is the most important alcoholic beverage in the daily life of Tibetan people due to its unique flavor and rich nutrients. In this study, the aromatic characteristics of Qingke Jiu were studied by sensory analysis, aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), quantitative analysis, and odor activity values (OAVs). Sensory evaluation demonstrated that Qingke Jiu had fruity, cooked potato, honey, sour, sweet, and caramel-like aroma. A total of 66 aroma compounds were identified by AEDA and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 4 to 2048. Among them, methional, acetic acid, ethyl butanoate, phenylacetaldehyde and ß-phenylethanol appeared with the highest FD factors. The concentration of these aroma-active compounds was further quantitated by combination of four different quantitative measurements, and 17 odorants had concentrations higher than their odor thresholds. Based on the OAVs, phenylacetaldehyde, ß-phenylethanol, ethyl phenylacetate, sotolon, furaneol, methional, methionol, γ-nonalactone, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ß-damascenone, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate, and acetic acid could be potentially important to the overall aroma profile of Qingke Jiu.

Carbon nanocage-based nanozyme as an endogenous H2O2-activated oxygenerator for real-time bimodal imaging and enhanced phototherapy of esophageal cancer.

Intelligent phototherapy by theranostic nanosystems that can be activated by a tumor microenvironment has high sensitivity and specificity. However, hypoxia and low drug accumulation in tumors greatly limit its clinical application. Herein, we have designed a cage-like carbon-manganese nanozyme, which effectively relieves tumor hypoxia and delivers numerous photosensitizers (PSs) to the tumor site, for real-time imaging and enhanced phototherapy of esophageal cancer. Specifically, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a template and reducing agent for preparing a BSA-MnO2 nanozyme; then a BSA-MnO2/IR820@OCNC (BMIOC) nanosystem was successfully synthesized by crosslinking BSA-MnO2 on the surface of IR820-loaded carboxylated carbon nanocages (OCNCs). Abundant PSs were successfully delivered to tumor sites via hollow OCNCs, and the final loading rate of IR820 reached 42.8%. The intratumor BMIOC nanosystem can be initiated by a tumor microenvironment to switch on its magnetic resonance (MR) imaging signal, and photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) functions. Notably, the BSA-MnO2 nanozyme, with intrinsic catalase (CAT)-like activity, catalyzed endogenous H2O2 for oxygen generation to overcome tumor hypoxia and enhance PDT, thereby leading to more efficient therapeutic effects in combination with OCNC-elevated PTT. In addition, the H2O2-activated and acid-enhanced properties enable our nanosystem to be specific to tumors, protecting normal tissues from damage. By integrating a high drug loading capacity, a hypoxia regulation function, an enlarged phototherapy effect, and bimodal imaging into a nanozyme-mediated nanoreactor, this work realizes a "one for all" system and represents promising clinical translation for efficient esophageal cancer theranostics.

Anti-neuroinflammatory effects of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. In a Parkinson's mouse model through the regulation of p38/JNK-Fosl2 gene expression.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., a Chinese medicinal herb called "Duzhong" from the bark of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., has been shown to possess significant protective effects in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we explored the anti-neuroinflammatory mechanisms of Duzhong on the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse model to elucidate the traditional medical theories with modern pharmacological methods and to provide a reference for further clarifying its mechanisms of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The representative components in Duzhong extract were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Male C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with MPTP to establish an in vivo PD model. The pole, rotarod, and grip strength tests were performed to evaluate the motor coordination ability of the PD mice. HPLC-ECD was used to detect the striatal levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4- dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA). The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot assays. ELISA and Q-PCR were used examined the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the serum and midbrain, respectively. Whole-transcriptome analysis of the midbrain was performed to explore the therapeutic effect of Duzhong on PD mice, and Q-PCR was then used to validate the differential gene expression changes in the PD mice treated with Duzhong. RESULTS: Ten compounds were identified from Duzhong extract. Duzhong significantly alleviated the behavioral impairments and dopaminergic neuron degeneration of PD mice, and inhibited the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Whole-transcriptome analysis revealed nine oppositely regulated genes, and the Fosl2 gene was consistent with the trend of observed by RNA-seq. Furthermore, Duzhong downregulated mRNA expression of p38 and JNK, which are key upstream genes of Fosl2. CONCLUSIONS: Duzhong has promising therapeutic potential in PD mice, and its molecular mechanism is mediated by downregulating p38/JNK-Fosl2 gene expression to alleviate neuroinflammation.

[Analysis of polarity components of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and its metabolites in rats by HPLC-MS~n].

This experiment aims to explore the metabolites of n-butanol and water soluble fraction of an ethanol extracts from Angelicae Sinensis Radix in rats. The chemical constituents of n-butanol and water extracts from Angelicae Sinensis Radix were identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MS~n,and the in vivo metabolites of n-butanol and water extracts were analyzed. By analyzing n-butanol and water extracts from Angelicae Sinensis Radix,25 compounds were detected and identified,in which 11 phthalide glycosides were firstly reported. And 19 compounds were detected and identified in rat urine,including 2 prototype constituents and 17 metabolites,and the17 metabolites were new compounds. The method can identify the main constituents and metabolites of extracts from traditional Chinese medicine accurately and rapidly,and provide evidence for interpreting effective forms and pharmacodynamics substance( prototype,metabolites,or both) of Angelicae Sinensis Radix.

[Toxic effects of combination of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata with Trichosanthis Fructus on inflammatory response and myocardial fibrosis in pressure overload rats based on ß2-AR/PKA signal].

To study the effects of combination of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata( Fuzi) with Trichosanthis Fructus( Gualou) on cardiac function,electrocardiogram,inflammatory response and myocardial fibrosis in pressure overload( PO) rats,and further explore the mechanism based on ß2-AR/PKA signaling. PO rat model was established by constricting the abdominal aorta. Twelve weeks after the operation,these rats were randomly divided into model goup( PO),low dose Fuzi group( FL,5. 4 g·kg-1·d-1),Gualou group( GL,5. 4 g·kg-1·d-1),Fuzi and Gualou combination group( FG,5. 4 g·kg-1·d-1+5. 4 g·kg-1·d-1) and high dose Fuzi group( FH,10. 8 g·kg-1·d-1). At the same time,sham operation group was set. After intervention for 6 weeks,carotid blood pressure,cardiac function,electrocardiogram and heart mass index were measured. HE staining was used to observe the inflammatory response in the rat heart and kidney. Masson staining was used to determine the myocardial fibrosis. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of ß2-AR and PKA. As compared with sham operation group,the blood pressure and heart mass index were obviously increased in PO model group,but there was no significant difference in various treatment groups in the above indexes. As compared with PO model group,FH treatment significantly increased the ejection fraction( EF) and GL treatment effectively enhanced the cardiac output( CO),but other treatment groups had no significant effect on these parameters. Moreover,FG treatment can synergistically attenuate QT and QTc internal prolongation,but it also aggravated inflammatory response in the heart and kidney tissues and promoted myocardial fibrosis as compared to FZ or GL alone treatment,with toxic effects equivalent to FH treatment group. Following FG and FH treatment,simultaneously,ß2-AR and PKA protein levels were significantly elevated,indicating that the increasing toxicity of FG could be associated with activation of ß2-AR/PKA signaling. These results suggested that combination of FZ and GL could synergistically enhance toxicity of FZ in special pathological states such as pressure overload,and caution should be taken in clinical application.

Desmoglein1 Deficiency Is a Potential Cause of Cutaneous Eruptions Induced by Shuanghuanglian Injection.

Cutaneous eruption is a common drug-adverse reaction, characterised by keratinocytes inflammation and apoptosis. Shuanghuanglian injeciton (SHLI) is a typical Chinese medicine injection, which is used to treat influenza. It has been reported that SHLI has the potential to induce cutaneous adverse eruptions. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. Since desmoglein 1 (DSG1) shows a crucial role in maintaining skin barrier function and cell susceptibility, we assume that DSG1 plays a critical role in the cutaneous eruptions induced by SHLI. In our study, retinoic acid (RA) was selected to downregulate the DSG1 expression, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was first used to identify the susceptibility of the DSG1-deficiency Hacat cells. Then, SHLI was administrated to normal or DSG1-deficient Hacat cells and mice. The inflammatory factors and apoptosis rate were evaluated by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. The skin pathological morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Our results show that treated only with SHLI could not cause IL-4 and TNF-α mRNA increases in normal Hacat cells. However, in the DSG1-deficient Hacat cells or mice, SHLI induced an extreme increase of IL-4 and TNF-α mRNA levels, as well as in the apoptosis rate. The skin tissue showed a local inflammatory cell infiltration when treated with SHIL in the DSG1-deficient mice. Thus, we concluded that DSG1 deficiency was a potential causation of SHLI induced eruptions. These results indicated that keratinocytes with DSG1 deficiency were likely to induce the cutaneous eruptions when stimulated with other medicines.

Quality markers based on biological activity: A new strategy for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine.

BACKGROUND: The quality and quality evaluation system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are crucial in the safety and effectiveness assessment of TCM. However, they are also the major bottlenecks that restrict the quality control of TCM. Given the nature of Chinese medicine and the limitations of science and technology, the quality evaluation of TCM involves a few difficulties. Therefore, scholars have conducted considerable amount of research on this topic and obtained promising results. Biological potency and biomarkers have been used to evaluate the quality of TCM. Previous studies provided new strategies and methods to establish a system on quality evaluation. PURPOSE: This review aims to provide a new strategy for the quality control of Chinese herbal medicine by combining biological potency and biomarkers based on biological effects. METHODS: We reviewed the quality evaluation system of Chinese herbal medicine, focusing on quality markers (Q-markers) based on biological effects and the application of these markers in the quality evaluation of Chinese herbal medicine. We also reviewed the factors affecting quality, the difficulties related to the quality evaluation system and the attempt of researchers to improve the quality control of TCM. RESULTS: We propose Q-biomarkers by integration of biological potency and biomarkers to evaluate the quality of TCM. The quality markers provided us significant insights in the process of definition. We further optimised the concept of Q-markers and summarised their definition and properties (including quantification, specificity and related to biological response) in accordance with the requirement of the quality evaluation of TCM. CONCLUSION: We propose the use of Q-biomarkers in vivo related to specific diseases as a new strategy for the quality evaluation of Chinese herbal medicine. The quality evaluation system of Q-biomarkers would provide a new perspective to standardise and globalise TCM.

[Identification of chemical constituents in Sinopodophylli Fructus by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn].

This experiment was performed to analyze and identify the chemical constituents of Sinopodophylli Fructus by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn. The analysis was performed on an Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) column.The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid was used for gradient at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min⁻¹. Electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry was applied for qualitative analysis under positive and negative ion modes. The results indicated that 54 compounds consisted of 18 lignans and 36 flavonoids from Xiaoyelian had been detected by their HRMS data, the information of literature and reference substance. Among them, 27 compounds were reported in Sinopodophylli Fructus for the first time. In conclusion, an HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn method was established to qualitative analysis of Xiaoyelian in this study, which will provide the evidence for evaluating the quality of Xiaoyelian herbs, clarifying the mechanism, and guiding the development of pharmacological active ingredients.

[Effects of different decocting methods on quality of Mahuang Xixin Fuzi decoction].

To compare the quality difference between Mahuang Xixin Fuzi decoction(MXF) prepared by traditional decocting method and that prepared by two commonly used decocting methods, and explore the scientific nature of the traditional decocting method. By taking effect-toxic components in MXF as the research object, this article investigated these three different decocting methods from the quantitative determination of effect-toxic components in MXF. By using multivariate statistical analysis methods, three characteristic constituents were identified as kakoul, mesaconitine (MA) and hypaconitine (HA) respectively. As compared with two commonly used decocting methods, MXF decoction prepared by traditional decocting method had the shortest boiling time, but with the lowest dissolution rates of MA and AC and the higher dissolution rates of mono-ester aconitum alkaloids. In addition, the traditional decocting method increased the dissolution of ephedra alkaloid and accelerated the hydrolysis of diester diterpenoid alkaloids. There were differences in the content of effect-toxic components in MXF decoctions prepared by three different decocting methods, which can provide a reference for use of the classical prescriptions.

[Effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on treatment and prevention of postoperative sore throat after tracheal intubation under general anesthesia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) at Hegu (LI 4) and Neiguan (PC 6) on treatment and prevention of postoperative sore throat (POST) after tracheal intubation under general anesthesia. METHODS: One hundred patients who received elective thyroid gland lobectomy with gradeⅠand Ⅱ of American Society of Anesthesiologists criteria were randomly assigned into a TEAS group and an anesthesia group according to random number table method, 50 cases in each group. All the patients were treated with tracheal intubation under general anesthesia. Patients in the TEAS group were treated with TEAS (2 Hz/100 Hz, 8 to 12 mA) at Hegu (LI 4) and Neiguan (PC 6) from 30 min before anesthesia induction to the end of operation. Patients in the anesthesia group were treated with TEAS at the same acupoints but no electrical stimulation was given. The incidence rate, severity and visual analogue scale (VAS) of POST were recorded 1h, 6h, 12h and 24h after tracheal extubation, respectively. RESULTS: The incidence rate of POST was 12.0% (6/50), 22.0% (11/50) and 18.0% (9/50) 1h, 6h, 12h after tracheal extubation respectively in the TEAS group, which was significantly lower than 30.0% (15/50), 42.0% (21/50) and 36.0% (18/50) in the anesthesia group (all P<0.05). However, the incidence rate was not significantly different between the two groups 24h after extubation[14.0% (7/50) vs 28.0% (14/50), P>0.05]. Moreover, the VAS scores of the patients with POST in the TEAS group at each time point were lower than those in the anesthesia group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TEAS at Hegu (LI 4) and Neiguan (PC 6) can effectively reduce the incidence rate and severity of POST induced by tracheal intubation under general anesthesia.

[Screening probiotic endophytic bacteria from medicinal plant flex cornuta and the phytopathogen-inhibiting effect].

Culturable endophytic bacteria were isolated from medicinal plant Ilex cornuta by plate-spreading method, strains with strong inhibitory effect on phytopathogen were screened by confrontation culture and fermentation filtrate culture methods, and the morphological changes of phytopathogen hyphae treated with endophytic bacteria were examined by microscopy and micrograph. Their phylogenetic relationships were determined by homology analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences of PCR products and the taxonomic status of the selected strains was determined based on their morphology, physiology, biochemical test results and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. A total of 85 endophytic bacteria were isolated from the healthy roots, stems, leaves and fruits of I. cornuta, and 10 strains of them showed strong inhibitory effect on Alternaria alternata, Magnaporthe grisea, Fusarium oxysporum, and were preliminarily identified belonging to four genera and seven species. Three strains with the strongest inhibitory effect, GG78 (60.3%), GG31 (48.1%) and GG13 (61.0%) belonged to Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter ludwigii and Bacillus cereus, respectively. Microscopic analyses showed that the inhibited phytopathogen hyphae became deformed, distorted, and partially expanded forming plasma concentration and hair-like branch on the hyphae base. These morphological changes could be caused by the extracellular metabolic substances secreted by the endophytic bacteria, such as antibiotics, hydrolytic enzymes, alkaloids and so on.