The Biological Role of Lncrna SNHG6 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Via Targeting P21.

Objective: To investigate the influence of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) on proliferation and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of NSCLC. Methods: This study included 25 samples of NSCLC and 20 normal tissues as the experimental group. Fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect lncRNA SNHG6 and p21. The relationship between lncRNA SNHG6 and p21 in NSCLC tissues was analyzed statistically. Colony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to determine the cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to determine cell proliferation, and Western blotting (WB) was used to measure the protein expression of p21. Results: The expression level of SNHG6 [(1.98 ± 0.23) vs. (4.46 ± 0.52)] (P < .01) was significantly higher, but p21 expression [(1.02 ± 0.23) vs. (0.33 ± 0.15)] (P < .01) was lower in the 25 cases of NSCLC tissues than in the control group. The expression of SNHG6 was negatively correlated with p21 (r2 = 0.2173, P = .0188). Transfection of SNHG6 small interfering RNA (siRNA) (si-SNHG6) in HCC827 and H1975 cells significantly reduced the level of SNHG6. The viability of BEAS-2B cells transfected with pcDNA-SNHG6 had a more robust proliferative and colony-forming capacity than normal cells (P < .01). Up-regulation of SNHG6 promoted the formation of the malignant phenotype and proliferative capacity of BEAS-2B cells. Proliferation, colony-forming capacity, and G1 phase of the cell cycle in HCC827 and H1975 cells were significantly repressed via influencing the apoptosis and p21 expression after the knockdown of SNHG6 (P < .01). Conclusion: Silencing lncRNA SNHG6 represses the proliferation and facilitates the apoptosis of NSCLC cells through regulating p21.

Hyperthermia-sensitive Liposomes Containing Brucea Javanica Oil for Synergistic Photothermal-/Chemo-Therapy in Breast Cancer Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: High mortality and limited therapeutic efficacy of clinical treatment make breast cancer a stubborn disease in women. The hypovascular issue is the main challenge needed to be overcome in breast cancer treatment. METHODS: For this purpose, hyperthermia-sensitive liposomes containing indocyanine green (ICG) and brucea javanica oil (BJO) (LP(BJO/ICG)) were constructed for near-infrared (NIR) laser-induced photothermal- /chemo-antitumor therapy. ICG, an FDA-approved photothermal agent, was employed in this study to perform photothermal therapy (PTT) effect as well as relieve hypovascular conditions in breast cancer tissue. RESULTS: BJO triggered release from the hyperthermia-sensitive LP (BJO/ICG) due to disassembly of liposomes under the PTT effect caused by ICG under NIR laser irradiation. It was found that mice in LP (BJO/ICG) group showed the slowest tumor growth under NIR laser irradiation, illustrating the strongest antitumor effect among all groups. CONCLUSION: This responsive-release drug delivery platform can be a promising candidate for the treatment of breast cancer.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhanced the growth, phosphorus uptake and Pht expression of olive (Olea europaea L.) plantlets.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a highly mycotrophic species that has been introduced and cultivated in China for half a century. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is extremely valuable as a kind of biofertilizer to promote the health and vigor of olive plants. However, it is still unclear how native AMF impact growth and mineral nutrients, especially phosphorus absorption in the area where olive trees were introduced in China. In the present study, through a pot experiment, the effects of native AMF on the growth, phosphorus uptake and expression levels of four phosphate transporter genes (Pht) of olive plantlets were characterized. We found that (1) typical AMF colonization was observed within the roots of inoculated olive plantlets, and the growth of plantlets was significantly promoted; (2) some indigenous consortia (AMF1 and AMF2) notably promoted the absorption of phosphorus, fertilizers significantly increased the foliar content of nitrogen, and both AMF inoculation and fertilization had no significant effect on the uptake of potassium; and (3) AMF inoculation enhanced the expression of phosphate transporter genes in inoculated olive roots. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of native AMF on the cultivation of robust olive plantlets and highlights the role of AMF in increasing phosphorus uptake. There is great potential in using native AMF consortia as inoculants for the production of healthy and robust olive plantlets.

Global regulatory factor VeA upregulates the production of antitumor substances in endophytic Fusarium solani.

A number of studies have demonstrated that endophytic fungi have the potential to produce antitumor active substances with novel structures and significant activities. In our previous studies, we isolated a Fusarium strain from the stem of the medicinal plant Nothapodytes pittosporoides (Oliv.). In this study, we identified this strain as Fusarium solani and found that its crude extract has significant antitumor activity against human alveolar adenocarcinoma cells (A549). We overexpressed the global regulatory factor VeA in F. solani (VeAOE), resulting in a significant increase in antitumor activity. The MTT assay results showed that the inhibition rate of the VeAOE mutant extract on A549 cancer cells was significantly higher than that of the WT extract, as the IC50 decreased from 369.22 to 285.89 µg/mL, and the apoptosis ratio was significantly increased by approximately 4.86-fold. In VeAOE, accumulation of alkaloids, terpenoids, carboxylic acid derivatives, phenols and flavonoid metabolites with potential antitumor activity was significantly increased compared with WT based on metabolomic analysis. Additionally, transcriptome analysis found that the expression patterns of 48 genes related to antitumor activity were significantly changed in VeAOE, mainly involving glycosyl hydrolases, the Zn(2)-Cys(6) class, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, 3-isopropylmalate dehydratase, and polyketide synthases. These results suggested that VeA mediated the antitumor activity of the metabolites in F. solani HB1-J1 by regulating multiple metabolic pathways.

Overexpression of the global regulator FnVeA upregulates antitumor substances in endophytic Fusarium nematophilum.

The special niche of endophytic fungi promotes their potential to produce antitumor compounds with novel structure and significant bioactivity for screening of new antitumor drugs. In our previous studies, we isolated a Fusarium strain from the roots of the medicinal plant Nothapodytes pittosporoides and identified it as Fusarium nematophilum. We found that the crude extract of F. nematophilum had significant antitumor activity on A549 cancer cells, and overexpressing the global regulatory factor FnVeA (the VeA gene of the fungus F. nematophilum) resulted in a significant increase in the antitumor activity, which was approximately fivefold higher than wild strain for relative inhibition rate. In FnVeAOE, the accumulation of indole, alkene, alkaloid, steroid, and flavonoid metabolites with potential antitumor activity was significantly upregulated compared with wild type via metabolomic analysis. Moreover, the transcriptome analysis showed that 134 differential genes were considered to be closely related to the biosynthesis of antitumor substances, of which 59 differential genes were considered as candidate key genes, and related to tryptophan dimethylallyltransferase, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, polyketide synthases, and transcription factors. Taken together, we suggest that FnVeA may regulate the biosynthesis of antitumor substances by mediating the expression of genes related to secondary metabolic pathways in F. nematophilum.

[Multiplex PCR method for simultaneous identification of Xanthii Fructus and its adulterants].

The purpose of this study is to establish a molecular method to identify Xanthii Fructus and two adulterants, the fruits of Xanthium mongolicum and X. italicum. Xanthii Fructus is the fruit of X. sibiricum, which is a Chinese herbal medicine used clinically to treat allergic rhinitis. The fruits of X. mongolicum and X. italicum have strong morphological similarities with Xanthii Fructus, while their safety of medication cannot be guaranteed. The genomes of X. sibiricum, X. mongolicum, and X. italicum were sequenced, which generated sequences of 2.21, 2.24, and 2.54 Gb, respectively. Based on the 76 specific contigs screened out by BLASTN and Bowtie 2, the corresponding primers were designed by Primer 5.0. Three pairs of primers with stable amplification efficiency and good reproducibility were screened out to establish a multiplex PCR method based on the PCR amplification results. Further, the annealing temperature, the amount of DNA template, the number of cycles, different DNA polymerases, and different PCR thermal cyclers were optimized. Fragments of 262 bp and 458 bp from X. sibiricum, 260, 454, and 927 bp from X. mongolicum, and 260 bp and 926 bp from X. italicum were amplified under the following conditions: the annealing temperature of 52 ℃, 35 cycles, 30 ng template DNA. Then, the established method was used to detect 18 samples of X. sibiricum, 17 samples of X. mongolicum, and 12 samples of X. italicum. The results showed that all the samples had positive results, which were consistent with the morphological identification results, thus proving the stability and reliability of the established method. Combining genome sequencing technology and multiplex PCR method to identify Xanthii Fructus and its adulterants can not only obtain the difference in genetic background but also facilitate the design of reliable primers. The multiplex PCR have high specificity and repeatability, providing a new method for the molecular identification of Xanthii Fructus.

Adding an appropriate proportion of phosphogypsum ensured rice husk and urea composting to promote the compost as substrate utilization.

To explore the effectiveness of urea replacing poultry manure as the nitrogen source in the rice husk composting system, and to promote the utilization of compost products as substrates, 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of phosphogypsum were added respectively in the urea composting system, and were compared with the chicken manure composting (RCP0). Finally, the fermentation and maturation of RCP0 were achieved, but high EC value limited the utilization of compost products as the substrate. Urea, as an N source, could lower the EC value, but the C/N ratio was uncoordinated during the initial stage of composting. Adding an appropriate proportion of phosphogypsum could ensure a proper C/N ratio to promote smooth fermentation and enable the products to be ideal substrates. When the added proportion was 30%, the thermophilic stage was shortened significantly but this may increase heavy metals. 10%-20% were concluded to be the recommended proportion.

Comparison of efficiency between VNS and ANT-DBS therapy in drug-resistant epilepsy: A one year follow up study.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and anterior thalamic deep brain stimulation (ANT-DBS) have both been used for treatments of drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). However, there is no comparative study on the effectiveness of two methods from one single center. 17 patients with DRE who underwent VNS therapy and 18 patients who underwent DBS were enrolled. A retrospective study was performed starting from baseline before operation extending to 12 months after operation. The seizure types, duration of epilepsy, age at implantation, failed numbers of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) before operation, history of craniotomy, stimulation parameters and response rate were described. The analysis of liner regression on the age of onset, duration of epilepsy, numbers of AEDs, and the seizure reduction at 12 months after operation was applied. The mean seizure reduction in patients with DBS at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the operation was 57.22%, 61.61%, 63.94% and 65.28%, and that in cases with VNS was 36.06%, 39.94%, 45.24% and 48.35%, respectively. At 1 year after the operation, the patients with older operation age, focal seizures and older age of onset responded better to VNS; and those older operation age, focal generalized seizures, history of craniotomy and longer duration of disease responded better to DBS. The efficiency of ANT-DBS was higher than that of VNS at each follow up time point. Patients can choose the appropriate treatment according to the individual clinical characteristics.

The thalamus-precentral gyrus functional connectivity changes in epilepsy patients following vagal nerve stimulation.

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective treatment for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who are unsuitable for surgical epilepsy treatment. However, the mechanism of action of VNS remains unclear, and the efficacy of VNS treatment regarding seizure frequency reduction cannot be assessed before surgery. This study measured changes in functional connectivity between thalamus and precentral gyrus which are activated as vital targets of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using resting-state functional MRI to evaluate the effects of VNS. 16 epilepsy patients who underwent VNS were collected and scanned by resting-state functional MRI before and after operation. The functional connections (regions of interest: thalamus, precentral gyrus) were examined. After three months of stimulation, there were eight responders (≥50 % seizure reduction) and eight non-responders to VNS. No significant difference in thalamus-precentral gyrus functional connectivity was found between responders and nonresponders before operation. Enhanced functional connections were observed between bilateral thalamus and bilateral precentral gyrus in responders, which decreased in nonresponders, while functional connections between bilateral thalamus decreased in both responders and nonresponders. Short-term stimulation may cause thalamus-precentral gyrus functional connectivity changes in DRE patients, and control seizures by enhancing functional connections between bilateral thalamus and bilateral precentral gyrus.

The effect of vagal nerve stimulation on hippocampal-thalamic functional connectivity in epilepsy patients.

BACKGROUND: Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is widely used as an auxiliary treatment for patients with intractable epilepsy. Up to now, the therapeutic mechanisms remain elusive, and no surgical prediction criteria has been proposed. METHODS: In this study, the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was chosen to explore aberrant intrinsic brain activity and functional connections in 14 epilepsy patients with VNS stimulators between March 2019 and April 2019. Seven patients who ≥ 50 % seizure reduction was defined as responders, and seven non-responders. All patients had got rs-fMRI scan before and after operation. The hippocampal - thalamic connections (hippocampal and thalamus as regions of interest) were detected to evaluate the diversity in all 14 patients and seven responders with stimulation at 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mA. The hippocampal-thalamic connections before operation were also examined between responders and non-responders. RESULTS: The preoperative left hippocampal - left thalamic connections and left hippocampal - right thalamic connections in responders were lower than those in non-responders (p < 0.05). While, there was no significant difference in hippocampal - thalamic connections in all epilepsy patients or responders with different current intensities (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VNS may be more suitable for patients with lower left hippocampal - left thalamic connections and/or left hippocampal - right thalamic connections. The current intensity ≤ 1.5 mA and stimulation time ≤ 3 months may not cause significant changes in hippocampal-thalamic functional connectivity.

Interactions between artemisinin derivatives and P-glycoprotein.

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin was isolated and identified in 1972, which was the starting point for a new era in antimalarial drug therapy. Furthermore, numerous studies have demonstrated that artemisinin and its derivatives exhibit considerable anticancer activity both in vitro, in vivo, and even in clinical Phase I/II trials. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated multi-drug resistance (MDR) is one of the most serious causes of chemotherapy failure in cancer treatment. Interestingly, many artemisinin derivatives exhibit excellent ability to overcome P-gp mediated MDR and even show collateral sensitivity against MDR cancer cells. Furthermore, some artemisinin derivatives show P-gp-mediated MDR reversal activity. Therefore, the interaction between P-gp and artemisinin derivatives is important to develop novel combination treatment protocols with artemisinin derivatives and established anticancer drugs that are P-gp substrates. PURPOSE: This systematic review provides an updated overview on the interaction between artemisinin derivatives and P-gp and the effect of artemisinin derivatives on the P-gp expression level. RESULTS: Artemisinin derivatives exhibit multi-specific interactions with P-gp. The currently used artemisinin derivatives are not transported by P-gp. However, some of novel synthetized artemisinin derivatives exhibit P-gp substrate properties. Furthermore, many artemisinin derivatives act as P-gp inhibitors, which exhibit the potential to reverse MDR towards clinically used anticancer drugs. CONCLUSION: Therefore, studies on the interaction between artemisinin derivatives and P-gp provide important information for the development of novel anti-cancer artemisinin derivatives to reverse P-gp mediated MDR and for the design of rational artemisinin-based combination therapies against cancer.

[Study on geographical variation of medicinal ingredients contents in Scutellaria baicalensis from different provenances].

In order to investigate the genetic difference on medicinal components of Scutellaria baicalensis from different provenances on the genetic difference, the S. baicalensis provenance tests were arranged by randomized block design.Excavating the crude drugs that have been growing for three years, with the same drying process, the content of baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, wogonin and laminarin A in S. baicalensis were detected by HPLC, and then the data were analyzed. The results indicated that the content of baicalin in different provenances of S. baicalensis was significantly different (P<0.05), while the variation of baicalein reached extremely significant level (P<0.01). Cluster analysis showed that if the distance was divided by 5.0, the provenances in Chengde, Hebei province were divided into two independent populations, while the other two populations had large geographic spans. The results show that the significant geographical variations exist in the content of medicinal components in S. baicalensis. The study laid a theoretical foundation of provenance selection of S. baicalensis.

High-frequency stimulation of anterior nucleus of thalamus desynchronizes epileptic network in humans.

Epilepsy has been classically seen as a brain disorder resulting from abnormally enhanced neuronal excitability and synchronization. Although it has been described since antiquity, there are still significant challenges achieving the therapeutic goal of seizure freedom. Deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus has emerged as a promising therapy for focal drug-resistant epilepsy; the basic mechanism of action, however, remains unclear. Here, we show that desynchronization is a potential mechanism of deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus by studying local field potentials recordings from the cortex during high-frequency stimulation (130 Hz) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus in nine patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. We demonstrate that high-frequency stimulation applied to the anterior nucleus of the thalamus desynchronizes ipsilateral hippocampal background electrical activity over a broad frequency range, and reduces pathological epileptic discharges including interictal spikes and high-frequency oscillations. Furthermore, high-frequency stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus is capable of decoupling large-scale neural activity involving the hippocampus and distributed cortical areas. We found that stimulation frequencies ranging from 15 to 45 Hz were associated with synchronization of hippocampal local field potentials, whereas higher frequencies (>45 Hz) promoted desynchronization of ipsilateral hippocampal activity. Moreover, reciprocal effective connectivity between the anterior nucleus of the thalamus and the hippocampus was demonstrated by hippocampal-thalamic evoked potentials and thalamic-hippocampal evoked potentials. In summary, high-frequency stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus is shown to desynchronize focal and large-scale epileptic networks, and here is proposed as the mechanism for reducing seizure generation and propagation. Our data also demonstrate position-specific correlation between deep brain stimulation applied to the anterior nucleus of the thalamus and patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and seizure onset zone within the Papaz circuit or limbic system. Our observation may prove useful for guiding electrode implantation to increase clinical efficacy.

[Genotype, environment and their interactions of functional components in Rheum palmatum].

Eight kinds of provenance of Rheum palmatum collected from 4 provinces Sichuan, Ningxia, Gansu, Shannxi as test materials, which were transplanted under 3 different environments by using complete randomized block design with three replicates. The contents of the chemical components was determined by HPLC. This study aimed at analyzing the effect of genotype, environment and their interactions on the 4 kinds of functional components (phenolic acids, bianthrone, free anthraquinones and combined anthraquinones) in 14 kinds of active components of R. palmatum, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of cultivated R. palmatum in high quality producing area and excellent provenance. The functional components of R. palmatum were influenced by genotype and environment. The content of phenolic acids was mainly influenced by environment, and the other three kinds of functional components were affected by environment and their interactions. The proportion of environment was larger. The cultivation quality of R. palmatum should give priority to environment, then choose a provenance. Sichuan may be beneficial in accumulation of free anthraquinones in R. palmatum, Gansu may facilitate the binding of combined anthraquinone, phenolic acids and bianthrone content. Preliminary inference based on the content and proportion of efficacy components, P2 could be potential special medicinal germplasm that have function of heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs. P6 could be potential special medicinal germplasm that activate blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis. P7 and P1 could all be potential specialmedicinal germplasms that exist diarrhea attack characters. The results of this study have important guiding significance for the production of rhubarb precision medicinal materials.

[Genotype, environment and their interactions of functional components in Rheum tanguticum].

Six kinds of provenance of Rheum tanguticum collected from Qinghai province as the test materials, which were transplanted under 3 different environments by using complete randomized block design with three replicates. The contents of the chemical components was determined by HPLC. This study aimed at analyzing the effect of genotype, environment and their interactions on the 4 kinds of functional components (phenolic acids, bianthrone, free anthraquinones and combined anthraquinones) in 14 kinds of active components of Rh. tanguticum, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of cultivated Rh. tanguticum in high quality producing area and excellent provenance. The provenance trial showed that the genotype and environment influence on the effect of all kinds of functional components in Rh. tanguticum were significant (P<0.05). The content of phenolic acids was mainly influenced by environment, and the other three kinds of functional components were affected by environment and their interactions. The proportion of environment was larger. The cultivation quality of Rh. tanguticum should give priority to environment, then choose a provenance. Sichuan may be beneficial in accumulation of combined anthraquinones in Rh. tanguticum, Gansu may facilitate the binding of free anthraquinone, phenolic acids and bianthrone content. Preliminary inference based on the content and proportion of efficacy components, T4 could be potential special medicinal germplasm that have function of heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs and activate blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis; T3 and T6 could all be potential specialmedicinal germplasms that exist diarrhea attack characters. The results of this study have certain guiding significance for the production of rhubarb precision medicinal materials.

Polydatin Prevents Methylglyoxal-Induced Apoptosis through Reducing Oxidative Stress and Improving Mitochondrial Function in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), an active metabolite of glucose, has been reported to induce vascular cell apoptosis in diabetic complication. Polydatin (PD), a small natural compound from Polygonum cuspidatum, has a number of biological functions, such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and nephroprotective properties. However, the protective effects of PD on MGO-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells remain to be elucidated. In this study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to explore the effects of PD on MGO-induced cell apoptosis and the possible mechanism involved. HUVECs were pretreated with PD for 2 h, followed by stimulation with MGO. Then cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) impairment, mitochondrial morphology alterations, and Akt phosphorylation were assessed. The results demonstrated that PD significantly prevented MGO-induced HUVEC apoptosis. PD pretreatment also significantly inhibited MGO-induced ROS production, MMP impairment, mitochondrial morphology changes, and Akt dephosphorylation. These results and the experiments involving N-acetyl cysteine (antioxidant), Cyclosporin A (mitochondrial protector), and LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) suggest that PD prevents MGO-induced HUVEC apoptosis, at least in part, through inhibiting oxidative stress, maintaining mitochondrial function, and activating Akt pathway. All of these data indicate the potential application of PD for the treatment of diabetic vascular complication.

Hydroxysafflor Yellow A Promotes Angiogenesis via the Angiopoietin 1/ Tie-2 Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: The flowers of Carthamus tinctorius L. are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), the main constituent of C. tinctorius L. flowers, is known for its multiple biological activities. The present study investigated the effects of HSYA on angiogenesis in vitro and in a mouse hindlimb ischemia model. METHODS: Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro and a mouse hindlimb ischemia model in vivo, the angiogenic role of HSYA was evaluated. RESULTS: HSYA significantly increased the capillary-like tube formation and migration of HUVEC. HSYA not only induced a rise in the expression of angiopoietin 1 and Tie-2 but it also increased phosphorylation of Tie-2, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Furthermore, an anti-Tie-2 neutralizing antibody significantly inhibited HSYA-induced HUVEC tube formation and migration. In vivo, the recovery of perfusion of ischemic hindlimb tissue after femoral artery interruption was significantly increased in HSYA-treated mice compared to vehicle controls. Consistent with these results, the arteriole and capillary densities in ischemic gastrocnemius muscles were significantly increased in HSYA-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate the potential utility of HSYA for the treatment of ischemic diseases.

[Influence of cutting seedling on growth, quality and yield of both aerial and underground part by cutting seedling in Scutellaria baicalensis].

By measuring the growth data of Scutellaria baicalensis in different cutting-seedling and determined active ingredient contents by HPLC and ultraviolet spectrophotometric determination. such as flavonoids. baicalin. wogonoside. baicalein. wogonin. oroxylin A. scutellarin. luteolin. and apigenin in the whole plant. Under circumstances of guaranteeing the quality and yield of medicinal materials. the yield of medicinal materials. and stems and leaves reached 193.60,63.21 kg/mu after twice cutting seedling. Not only yield but also active ingredient contents have been improved to some extent. the contents of flavonoids. baicalin. wogonoside. baicalein. wogonin. oroxylin A reached 18.52%. 15.13%. 4.03%. 1.04%. 1.04%. 0.12%. respectively in roots. Luteolin was not detected in young stems and leaves of S. baicalensis,the contents of other active ingredients such as scutellarin. luteolin and apigenin reached 7.00%. 0.96%. 0.04% respectively under twice cutting seedling. Therefore. regular cutting seedling could be regard as a new cultivation technique for wider range of promotion. And gaining high quality and yield of medicinal materials and tea with the purpose of rational utilization of natural resources and promoting the development of integration of herbal combination.

Discovery of multitarget-directed ligands against Alzheimer's disease through systematic prediction of chemical-protein interactions.

To determine chemical-protein interactions (CPI) is costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. In silico prediction of CPI can facilitate the target identification and drug discovery. Although many in silico target prediction tools have been developed, few of them could predict active molecules against multitarget for a single disease. In this investigation, naive Bayesian (NB) and recursive partitioning (RP) algorithms were applied to construct classifiers for predicting the active molecules against 25 key targets toward Alzheimer's disease (AD) using the multitarget-quantitative structure-activity relationships (mt-QSAR) method. Each molecule was initially represented with two kinds of fingerprint descriptors (ECFP6 and MACCS). One hundred classifiers were constructed, and their performance was evaluated and verified with internally 5-fold cross-validation and external test set validation. The range of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) for the test sets was from 0.741 to 1.0, with an average of 0.965. In addition, the important fragments for multitarget against AD given by NB classifiers were also analyzed. Finally, the validated models were employed to systematically predict the potential targets for six approved anti-AD drugs and 19 known active compounds related to AD. The prediction results were confirmed by reported bioactivity data and our in vitro experimental validation, resulting in several multitarget-directed ligands (MTDLs) against AD, including seven acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors ranging from 0.442 to 72.26 µM and four histamine receptor 3 (H3R) antagonists ranging from 0.308 to 58.6 µM. To be exciting, the best MTDL DL0410 was identified as an dual cholinesterase inhibitor with IC50 values of 0.442 µM (AChE) and 3.57 µM (BuChE) as well as a H3R antagonist with an IC50 of 0.308 µM. This investigation is the first report using mt-QASR approach to predict chemical-protein interaction for a single disease and discovering highly potent MTDLs. This protocol may be useful for in silico multitarget prediction of other diseases.

[Acquisition and storage methods for image data collected in Chinese medicine resources survey].

The acquisition and storage of the image data are important in the Chinese medicine resources survey, and it is important data and evidence for the process and the results. The image data of the Chinese medicinal materials' habitat, original plant or animal, processing in habitat, commodity form, the relative contents and workshop scenarios in the investigation are important for the compiling of the Color Atlas of National Chinese Medicine Resources, mapping the digital scattergram of the Chinese medicine resources, establishing the digital Chinese medicine plant herbarium and acquiring the documentary of the Chinese medicine resource survey. The content, procedures and methods of the video data collecting have been related and analyzed in this article to provide reference for the Chinese medicine resources survey.