Efficacy of Baishao Luoshi decoction on synaptic plasticity in rats with post stroke spasticity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of Baishao Luoshi decoction (, BD) on synaptic plasticity in rats with post stroke spasticity (PSS), and to study the mechanism behind the action. METHODS: The PSS model of rat was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The neurological deficit symptoms were evaluated by modified neurological deficit score (mNSS). Muscle tension were evaluated by Modified Ashworth score (MAS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the synaptic ultrastructure. The expression of synaptic plasticity-related protein brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), growth associated protein-43 (GAP43), synaptophysin (p38) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) in the brain tissue around the infarct were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: We found that mNSS were significantly improved and limb spasticity was ameliorated treated by BD. The thickness of postsynaptic density and the synaptic curvature increased significantly. The expression of synaptic plasticity-related protein BDNF, GAP43, p38, MAP2 in the brain tissue around the infarct were raised remarkably after treated by BD. CONCLUSIONS: Alleviating PSS by BD may be related to rescuing the synaptic plasticity, which provides a probable new therapeutic method for PSS.

Effectiveness and Safety of Acupoint Catgut Embedding for the Treatment of Poststroke Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Acupoint catgut embedding therapy has shown effectiveness in treating functional constipation; however, relevant, high-quality clinical evidence is scarce. This study aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of acupoint catgut embedding in treating poststroke constipation. Methods: Correlative randomized controlled trials were identified through a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, and VIP databases from inception until February 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: Fifteen trials involving 1084 patients were identified. The meta-analysis revealed that the acupoint catgut embedding group was significantly superior to the non-catgut embedding group with regard to the efficacy rate (RR = 1.27, 95% CI (1.19, 1.37), P < 0.05), the first defecation time (MD = -3.08, 95% CI (-4.53, -1.63), P < 0.05), the defecation sensation score (MD = -0.44, 95% CI (-0.61, -0.26), P < 0.05), the degree of difficulty in defecation (MD = -0.73, 95% CI (-1.10, -0.37), P < 0.05), the PAC-QOL scale score (MD = -10.06, 95% CI (-13.47, -6.64), P < 0.05), and the symptom integral (MD = -3.15, 95% CI (-3.60, -2.71), P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the stool property score (MD = 0.06, 95% CI (-0.39, 0.50), P > 0.05) as well as the incidence of adverse reactions (RD = 0.01, 95% CI (-0.01, 0.03), P > 0.05) between the two groups. Conclusions: The results showed that acupoint catgut embedding is probably an effective and safe acupuncture treatment strategy for poststroke constipation. Nevertheless, more rigorously designed, standardized, large-sample, and multicenter randomized controlled designs are warranted to further verify the findings of this study.

[Chemical constituents from the leaves of Cinnamomum camphora var. linaloolifera and their anti-inflammatory activities].

Thirteen compounds were isolated and purified from the leaves of Cinnamomum camphora by the macroporous resin,silica gel,and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. Those compounds were further identified by IR,UV,MS,and NMR techniques:( 2 S)-1-( 3″,4″-methylenedioxy phenyl)-3-( 2',6'-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol( 1),( 2 R,3 R)-5,7-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxy flavanol( 2),9-hydroxysesamin( 3),sesamin( 4),piperitol( 5),kobusin( 6),(-)-aptosimon( 7),acuminatolide( 8),1ß,11-dihydroxy-5-eudesmene( 9),lasiodiplodin( 10),vanillin( 11),p-hydroxybenzaldehyde( 12),and p-hydroxybenzoic acid ethyl ester( 13). Compound 1 was a novel compound,and compounds 2,6,7,9 and 10 were isolated from Cinnamomum plants for the first time. Compounds 4,7 and 10 were found to possess good inhibitory effect on IL-6 production in LPS-induced BV2 cells at a concentration of 20 µmol·L-1 in the in vitro bioassay,with inhibition rates of 51. 26% ± 4. 13%,67. 82% ± 3. 77% and85. 81%±1. 19%,respectively.

Expert Consensus on Clinical Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine：Membranous Nephropathy / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is a great treasure house， exhibiting unique advantages in the treatment of some difficult and critical diseases. The incidence rate of membranous nephropathy has increased year by year in recent years， and has become the first cause of primary glomerular diseases. However， its pathogenesis is not clear. Modern medicine often uses immunosuppressive therapy， but it often faces the problems of high side effects and high recurrence rate. The China Association of Chinese Medicine （CACM） invited clinical experts of TCM and western medicine to fully discuss membranous nephropathy， which was later confirmed to be one of the clinical diseases responding specifically to TCM. Apart from summarizing the pathogenesis and clinical diagnosis and treatment of membranous nephropathy in both TCM and western medicine， this paper also detailed TCM cognition， syndrome differentiation， and therapeutic schemes of membranous nephropathy， aiming to improve the clinical remission rate of membranous nephropathy and provide reference for its clinical treatment.

The efficacy of taking traditional Chinese medicine orally in renal interstitial fibrosis: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: By now, the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing. The development of various CKD is attributed to the continuous aggravation of renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) in the process of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Oral treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the therapies for RIF. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM treatment RIF have been reported, but its effectiveness and safety have yet been systematically investigated. Therefore, through the systematic analysis and meta-analysis, our study will summarize the effectiveness and safety of oral treatment RIF of TCM, in order to provides scientific reference for clinical practice. METHODS: This protocol follows Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Evaluation and Meta-Analysis. RCTs will be only selected. Such databases as the PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Excerpt Medical Database (Embase), WanFan Data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform will be searched from the inception to June, 2020 to collect the RCTs about taking TCM orally in treating RIF. The literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data-extracted and the methodological quality evaluated will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. The clinical outcomes including renal function indices (Scr, BUN, 24-hour urinary protein quantity) and Indicators of RIF (TGF-ß1, Notch1, Jagged-1). The risk of bias included in the RCTs will be evaluated by the bias risk assessment tool provided in the Cochrane System Evaluation Manual 5.1.0. Review Manager 5.3 provided by the Cochrane collaboration network will be used to process the data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Some more targeted and practical results about the efficacy of taking TCM orally in RIF have been provided by our study. The available evidence suggests that the therapeutic effects of combining TCM with Western medicine therapies is much better for RIF than Western medicine therapies only.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on skeletal muscle and blood glucose in rats with diabetic amyotrophy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on skeletal muscle and blood glucose in rats with diabetic amyotrophy. METHODS: Among 40 SD rats, 10 rats were randomly selected into the control group and received no treatment. The remaining 30 rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg) to establish diabetes mellitus (DM) model, and then the rats were treated with vascular ligation at right posterior limb to establish amyotrophy model. The rats with diabetic amyotrophy were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group, 10 rats in each group (10 rats were excluded due to unsuccessful model establishment and death). The rats in the EA group was treated with EA at right-side "Yishu (EX-B 3)" "Shenshu (BL 23)" "Zusanli (ST 36)" and "Sanyinjiao (SP 6)", disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/ 15 Hz, 20 minutes each time, once a day for 3 weeks. Before and after EA treatment, the blood sample was collected from inner canthus and the "glucose oxidase-peroxidase" method was used to detect fasting blood glucose level; ELISA method was used to detect insulin content. At the end of the treatment, HE staining method was used to observe the morphology of ischemic skeletal muscle in the right hindlimb; the real-time PCR method was used to detect the mRNA expression of muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx), muscle ring finger-1 (MuRF1) and forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) in the ischemic skeletal muscle tissue of right hindlimb. RESULTS: Before the treatment, the body mass in the model group and EA group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01); after the treatment, the body mass in the control group was increased, while the body mass in the model group and EA group was decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the fasting blood glucose was significantly increased and insulin content was significantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01); compared with the model group, the fasting blood glucose was significantly decreased and the insulin content was significantly increased in the EA group after treatment (P<0.01). The muscle fibers of the model group were obviously broken, the number of the nuclei decreased, and the nuclei shrinked or even dissolved; the morphology of the muscle tissue of the EA group after intervention was improved compared with the model group. Compared with the control group, the cross-sectional area of ischemic skeletal muscle cells in the right hindlimb in the model group was decreased (P<0.01); compared with the model group, the cross-sectional area of ischemic skeletal muscle cells in the right hindlimb was increased in EA group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of MAFbx, MuRF1 and FOXO3a mRNA in the right hindlimb ischemic skeletal muscle in the model group were increased significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05); compared with the model group, the levels of MAFbx, MuRF1 and FOXO3a mRNA in the EA group were decreased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA may play a role in the treatment of diabetic amyotrophy by inducing FOXO3a to reduce the transcription of MAFbx and MuRF1.

[Effects of electroacupuncture "Shuigou" on expression of soluble guanylate cyclase(sGC) and protein kinase G (PKG)in vascular smooth muscle of cerebral artery in rats with cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), cyclic guanosine phosphate (cGMP) and protein kinase G (PKG) of cerebral vascular smooth muscle in cerebral infarction (CI) rats, so as to study its dynamic regulation mechanism. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control (n=10), sham operation (n=40), model (n=40), and EA (n=40) groups, and the latter three groups were further di-vided into 3, 6, 12 and 24 h subgroups (n=10 in each subgroup). The CI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). EA(15 Hz, 2 mA)was applied to "Shuigou" (GV26) for 20 min. The cGMP, sGC and PKG activity and expression levels in the vascular smooth muscle of cerebral artery were detected using ELISA and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: After modeling, the immunoactivity and activities of sGC at 3 h, PKG at 3 and 6 h and cGMP from 3 h to 24 h were ob-viously decreased in the model group relevant to the normal control and sham-operation groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). After the intervention, the expression levels and activities of sGC at 3 h, PKG at 3 and 6 h and cGMP at 3 and 6 h were apparently up-regulated in the EA group relevant to the model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA intervention can significantly inhibit the down-regulation of sGC, PKG and cGMP expression of cerebral artery smooth muscle in MCAO model rats, which plays an important role in inhibiting cerebral artery smooth muscle spasm after ischemia, maintaining normal vascular function and state, and thus increasing blood perfusion around cerebral infarction area. However, acupuncture effect has a certain time-effectiveness.

[Effects of lemon peel extracts on lactate dehydrogenase and sucrase activity of Streptococcus mutans].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of lemon peel extracts (LPE) on the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and sucrase of Streptococcus mutans (Sm). METHODS: After serial dilution with trypticase soy broth (TSB) medium containing 2% glucose, LPE was used as the experimental group, and TSB without LPE as the control group. Sm was added to each group, which was then cultured for 6, 18, 24 and 48 hours in the anaerobic tank. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) was measured with the method of oxidation of reduction coenzymeIand the pH value of the culture solution was also detected. The activity of the sucrose was determined with the method of coloration of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid. RESULTS: The activity of LDH, sucrase and the changes of solution pH were decreased with the increase of the concentration of LPE (P < 0.01). The activity of LDH were declined from (0.8025 ± 0.0913) × 10(3) U/L to (0.2099 ± 0.0283) × 10(3) U/L; the activity of sucrase were declined from (-0.0107 ± 0.0003) × 10(3) U/L to (-0.0078 ± 0.0002) × 10(3) U/L; the ΔpH were declined from (2.8067 ± 0.0404) to (2.5033 ± 0.0416) (24 h results). The differences were significant between experimental groups and the control group (P < 0.01), and there were also significant differences among experimental groups with different LPE concentration (P < 0.01). The inhibitory effect of acid generation and lactate dehydrogenas' activity of Sm were positively correlated (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LPE can inhibit the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, sucrase and the acid production capacity of the Sm in a dose dependent manner. The inhibitory effects in logarithmic phase is stronger than that in other phases of growth cycle.

SNP marker and allele-specific diagnostic PCR for authenticating herbs of Perilla / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To authenticate all the varieties of Perilla (single-species genus), to analyze sequences of rDNA ITS regions and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within them and based on these, to design allele-specific diagnostic PCR primers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The rDNA ITS regions of the perilla varieties were sequenced and analyzed by Clustal X 1.8, MEGA 3.0. Allele-specific diagnostic PCR primers that can authenticate all the perilla varieties were designed based on SNPs loci.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The length of rDNA ITS sequences of perilla varieties ranged from 612 to 615 bp in size, including ITS1 (230 -232 bp), 5.8S (179 bp) and ITS2 (203 -204 bp). The GC content is about 61.5% - 61.9%. There is not only SNPs in non-coding region ITS1 and ITS2 (ncSNP), but also three coding SNPs (cSNP) loci in the conservative region of 5.8S. All the SNPs have only two allele loci polymorphism. The cSNP in 5.8S is related to the morphology variation among the varieties. Allele-specific diagnostic PCR primers have been designed according to SNPs loci to authenticate accurately all the seeds and leaves of Perilla varieties.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SNPs in rDNA ITS region can be used as an effective molecular markers to authenticate all the varieties of Perilla.</p>

[Clinical observation on treatment of female delayed acne vulgaris with qingre cuochuang tablet].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of Qingre Cuochuang tablet (QCT) in treating female delayed acne vulgaris (FDAV, with patients age more than 25 years old), to evaluate objectively the sexual hormone in patients and to assess the effect of QCT on sexual hormone. METHODS: Sixty FDAV patients were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 40) and the control group (n = 20), they were treated with QCT and western medicine (including antisterone, tetracycline and metronidazole) respectively. Besides, 10 healthy female subjects aged > or = 25 years were selected as normal control. Serum levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in all patients and healthy subjects as well as the clinical therapeutic effect of the treatments were observed and compared. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the treated group and the control group was 92.5% and 90.0% respectively, comparison between them showed insignificant difference. Serum level of T in the patients before treatment were higher than that in healthy subjects (P < 0.01), and showed no difference between the treated group and the control group. After treatment, it lowered significantly in the treated group (P < 0.01), but unchanged in the control group, E2 level showed no significant change in both groups before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: QCT has definite clinical effect in treating FDAV, it could lower the serum level of T and with few adverse reaction.

Clinical observation on treatment of female delayed acne vulgaris with qingre cuochuang tablet / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of Qingre Cuochuang tablet (QCT) in treating female delayed acne vulgaris (FDAV, with patients age more than 25 years old), to evaluate objectively the sexual hormone in patients and to assess the effect of QCT on sexual hormone.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty FDAV patients were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 40) and the control group (n = 20), they were treated with QCT and western medicine (including antisterone, tetracycline and metronidazole) respectively. Besides, 10 healthy female subjects aged > or = 25 years were selected as normal control. Serum levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in all patients and healthy subjects as well as the clinical therapeutic effect of the treatments were observed and compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate in the treated group and the control group was 92.5% and 90.0% respectively, comparison between them showed insignificant difference. Serum level of T in the patients before treatment were higher than that in healthy subjects (P < 0.01), and showed no difference between the treated group and the control group. After treatment, it lowered significantly in the treated group (P < 0.01), but unchanged in the control group, E2 level showed no significant change in both groups before and after treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QCT has definite clinical effect in treating FDAV, it could lower the serum level of T and with few adverse reaction.</p>