Quality markers of Dajianzhong decoction based on multicomponent qualitative and quantitative analysis combined with network pharmacology and chemometric analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Dajianzhong decoction (DJZD), a classic famous prescription, has a long history of medicinal application. Modern studies have demonstrated its clinical utility in the treatment of postoperative ileus (POI). But none of the current quality evaluation methods for this compound is associated with efficacy. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the quality markers (Q-Markers) connected to the treatment of POI in DJZD. METHODOLOGY: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS) was used to identify the main constituents in DJZD. Based on the qualitative results obtained by fingerprinting, chemical pattern recognition (CPR) was used to analyse the key components affecting the quality and finally to establish the network of the active ingredients in DJZD with POI. RESULTS: A total of 64 chemical components were detected. After fingerprint analysis, 13 common peaks were identified. The fingerprint similarity of 15 batches of samples ranged from 0.860 to 1.000. CPR analysis was able to categorically classify 15 batches of DJZD into two groups. And gingerenone A, methyl-6-gingerdiol, 6-gingerol, and hydroxy-ß-sanshool contributed to their grouping. Twelve common components interact with the therapeutic targets for treating POI. In addition, the mechanism of this prescription for treating POI may be related to the jurisdiction of the neurological system, the immunological system, and the inflammatory response. CONCLUSIONS: This integrated approach can accurately assess and forecast the quality of DJZD, presume the Q-Markers of DJZD for POI, and lay the foundation for studying the theoretical underpinnings and exploring the mechanism of DJZD in the treatment of POI.

Berberine inhibits fluphenazine-induced up-regulation of CDR1 in Candida albicans.

Over-expression of the Candida drug resistance gene CDR1 is a common mechanism generating azole-resistant Candida albicans in clinical isolates. CDR1 is transcriptionally activated through the binding of the transcription factor Tac1p to the cis-acting drug-responsive element (DRE) in its promoter. We previously demonstrated that the combination of fluconazole (FLC) and berberine (BBR) produced significant synergy when used against FLC-resistant C. albicans in vitro. In this study, we found that BBR inhibited both the up-regulation of CDR1 mRNA and the transport function of Cdr1p induced by fluphenazine (FNZ). Further, electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggested that the transcription activation complex of protein-DRE was disrupted by BBR, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis showed that BBR bound to the DRE of CDR1. Thus we propose that BBR inhibits the FNZ-induced transcriptional activation of CDR1 in C. albicans by blocking transcription factor binding to the DRE of CDR1. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanism of synergistic effect of BBR and FLC.

The oxidative damage and disbalance of calcium homeostasis in brain of chicken induced by selenium deficiency.

Dietary selenium (Se) deficiency can influence the function of the brain. Our objective was to investigate the effects of Se deficiency on oxidative damage and calcium (Ca) homeostasis in brain of chicken. In the present study, 1-day-old chickens were fed either a commercial diet (as control group) with 0.15 mg/kg Se or a Se-deficient diet (as L group) with 0.033 mg/kg Se for 75 days. Then, brain injury biomarkers were examined, including histological analysis, ultrastructure assay, and apoptosis assay. We also examined the effect of Se deficiency on the Se-containing antioxidative enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the level of glutathione (GSH), and the Ca homeostasis in brain of chicken. The results showed that the levels of Se and GSH and activity of GSH-Px are seriously reduced by 33.8-96 % (P < 0.001), 24.51-27.84 % (P < 0.001), and 20.70-64.24 % (P < 0.01), respectively. In the present study, we also perform histological analysis and ultrastructure assay and find that Se deficiency caused disorganized histological structure, damage to the mitochondria, fusion of nuclear membrane and nucleus shrinkage, higher apoptosis rate (P < 0.001), and increase of Ca homeostasis (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 or P < 0.001) in the brain of chicken. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that Se deficiency induced oxidative damage and disbalance of Ca homeostasis in the brain of chicken. Similar to mammals, chickens brain is also extremely susceptible to oxidative damage and selenium deficiency.

Selenoprotein W gene expression in the gastrointestinal tract of chicken is affected by dietary selenium.

Selenoprotein W (SelW) and selenium (Se) plays important roles in gastrointestinal function and that SelW expression in the gastrointestinal system of mammals is sensitive to Se levels. However, little is known about the pattern of SelW expression in the bird gastrointestinal tract. To investigate the distribution of SelW and effects of dietary Se levels on the SelW mRNA expression in the gastrointestinal tract tissues of birds, 1-day-old male chickens were fed either a commercial diet or a Se-supplemented diet containing 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 or 5.0 mg/kg sodium selenite for 90 days. The gastrointestinal tract tissues (tongue, esophagus, crop, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, small intestine, cecum and rectum) were collected and examined for Se content and mRNA levels of SelW. The mRNA expression of SelW was detected in all tissues. The greatest increase in SelW mRNA levels was observed in the gizzard, whereas Se content was highest in the duodenum and small intestine. A significant increase in SelW mRNA levels was observed in the gastrointestinal tract tissues of chickens fed the diets containing 1-3 mg/kg sodium selenite while decreased SelW mRNA levels were observed in the esophagus, crop, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum and cecum in chickens fed the diet containing 5 mg/kg sodium selenite. These data indicate that SelW is widely expressed in the gastrointestinal tract tissues of birds and the transcription of the SelW gene is very sensitive to dietary Se.