DHEA down-regulates mitochondrial dynamics and promotes apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells through FASTKD2.

Background: DHEA is a steroid hormone produced by the gonads, adrenal cortex, brain, and gastrointestinal tract. While the anti-obesity, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-cancer, and memory-enhancing effects of DHEA have been substantiated through cell experiments, animal studies, and human trials, the precise mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Altered mitochondrial dynamics can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is closely related to many human diseases, especially cancer and aging. This study was to investigate whether DHEA inhibits lung adenocarcinoma through the mitochondrial pathway and its molecular mechanism. Methods: Through animal experiments and cell experiments, the effect of DHEA on tumor inhibition was determined. The correlation between FASTKD2 expression and DHEA was analyzed by Western blot, Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, Immunohistochemistry, and TCGA database. Results: In this study, DHEA supplementation in the diet can inhibit the tumor size of mice, and the effect of adding DHEA one week before the experiment is the best. DHEA limits the glycolysis process by inhibiting G6PDH activity, increases the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and initiates apoptosis in the mitochondrial pathway of cancer cells. Conclusion: DHEA suppresses mitochondrial fission and promotes mitochondrial fusion by downregulating the expression of FASTKD2, thereby inhibiting tumor growth and prolonging the overall survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients, which also provides a new target for the prevention and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

[Research progress on chemical constituents of Schisandra chinensis and its effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].

Schisandra chinensis, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is rich in chemical constituents, including lignans, triterpenes, polysaccharides, and volatile oils. Clinically, it is commonly used to treat cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, liver, gastrointestinal, and respiratory diseases. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that S. chinensis extract and monomers have multiple pharmacological activities in lowering liver fat, alleviating insulin resistance, and resisting oxidative stress, and have good application prospects in alleviating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). Therefore, this study reviewed the research progress on chemical constituents of S. chinensis and its effect on NAFLD in recent years to provide references for the research on S. chinensis in the treatment of NAFLD.

[Effects of Fertilization and Straw Mulching on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Loss in Chengdu Plain].

In recent years, the excessive application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers has caused serious pollution and eutrophication, especially in paddy fields. Accordingly, a two-year (2018-2019) study was conducted at a rice paddy field under different fertilizer application rates and straw mulching in Chengdu Plain. N and P losses through the rainfall and surface runoff in the paddy field were measured under natural rainfall conditions. The results showed that nitrogen mainly existed in the form of ammonium nitrogen, and phosphorus mainly existed in the form of soluble phosphorus in the wet deposition. The wet deposition of nitrogen and phosphorus mainly occurred in June, July, and August. Surface runoff was positively correlated with rainfall, whereas surface runoff nitrogen concentration was inversely correlated with rainfall. The highest runoff losses of TN (4.75 kg·hm-2 in 2018 and 2.68 kg·hm-2 in 2019) were produced by TR3 practice and were 26.73% and 43.32% higher than that of the conventional practice. TN runoff loss was significantly decreased by reducing the rate of N fertilizer (P<0.05). Compared with that in the conventional practice TR1, TR4 reduced the N loss by 36.33% in 2018 and 26.74% in 2019, respectively. Optimized fertilizer TR2 and nitrogen reduction practice TR4 decreased P loss from surface runoff, and high intensity rainfall could reduce the content of granular phosphorus in surface runoff. The surface runoff occurring in July, August, and September contributed mostly to the total N loss, whereas the loss of total P mainly occurred before July. Consequently, the use of balanced fertilizer and decreased nitrogen fertilization amount might be effective strategies to attenuate non-point source pollution in the Chengdu Plain in the paddy fields.

[Anti-inflammatory active component in raw materials of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix based on spectrum-effect relationship].

The present study investigated the correlation of UPLC fingerprints of raw materials of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix samples with the anti-inflammatory effect and explored the pharmacodynamic material basis for the anti-inflammatory activity. UPLC fingerprints of 18 batches of raw materials of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix samples were established for the determination of the content of eight components. The toe swelling rate and the content of IL-1ß, IL-6, and PGE2 in rats with toe inflammation induced by carrageenin were measured. Canonical correlation analysis was used to study the spectrum-effect relationship. Cluster analysis indicated that chemical components of Ligusticum sinense and L. jeholense were similar. Methanol extracts of L. sinense, L. jeholense, and Conioselinum vaginatum significantly reduced the toe swelling rate and the content of IL-1ß, IL-6 and PGE2 in swollen tissues. The anti-inflammatory effect of C. vaginatum was weaker than that of L. sinense and L. jeholense. The results of spectrum-effect relationship indicated that there was an obvious correlation between chemical components and pharmacodynamic indexes. In UPLC fingerprints, compounds 1, 3(chlorogenic acid), 4(cryptochlorogenic acid), 5, 6(ferulic acid), 7(isochlorogenic acid B), 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18(coniferyl ferulate), 19, 20(N-butylphthalide), 21, 22, and 23 were significantly correlated with anti-inflammation, among which compounds 5, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, and 23 had negative correlation. This study screened out the effective components with anti-inflammatory activity in raw materials of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix, which was of great significance to improve the quality evaluation system of raw materials of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix.

Molecular Structure and Phylogenetic Analyses of the Complete Chloroplast Genomes of Three Medicinal Plants Conioselinum vaginatum, Ligusticum sinense, and Ligusticum jeholense.

Most plants of Ligusticum have an important medicinal and economic value with a long history, Ligusticum sinense and L. jeholense ("Gaoben") has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of carminative, dispelling cold, dehumidification, and analgesia. While in the market Conioselinum vaginatum (Xinjiang Gaoben) is substitution for Gaoben, and occupies a higher market share. These three Gaoben-related medicinal materials are similar in morphology, and are difficult to distinguish from each other by the commonly used DNA barcodes. The chloroplast genome has been widely used for molecular markers, evolutionary biology, and barcoding identification. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome sequences of C. vaginatum, L. sinense, and L. jeholense were reported. The results showed that the complete chloroplast genomes of these three species have typical quadripartite structures, which were comprised of 148,664, 148,539, and 148,497 bp. A total of 114 genes were identified, including 81 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 29 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Our study indicated that highly variable region ycf2-trnL and accD-ycf4 that can be used as specific DNA barcodes to distinguish and identify C. vaginatum, L. sinense, and L. jeholense. In addition, phylogenetic study showed that C. vaginatum nested in Ligusticum and as a sister group of L. sinense and L. jeholense, which suggested these two genera are both in need of revision. This study offer valuable information for future research in the identification of Gaoben-related medicinal materials and will benefit for further phylogenetic study of Apiaceae.

[Research progress in DIR gene of lignan biosynthesis in medicinal plants].

The active components, mainly derived from secondary metabolites of medicinal plants, are the material basis for the efficacy of medicinal plants. Lignans, the secondary metabolites in plants with high bioactivity, are widely distributed in a variety of plant species, and their antiviral, antitumor, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities have been proved in clinical practice. Generally, lignans are diverse in structures with many chiral centers, and most of them are optically active. The biosynthesis of lignans depends on the oxidative coupling reaction through site selection and stereo selection, which impedes synthesized lignans to form racemates, but makes them in a three-dimensional configuration. Dirigent protein(DIR) plays an important role in guiding location selection and stereo selection of lignans in biosynthesis. In vitro studies on lignan biosynthesis have shown that racemic end products are obtained in the absence of DIR proteins, while the products in a three-dimensional configuration can be yielded in the presence of DIR proteins, indicating that DIR proteins play an asymmetric role in the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. The present study reviewed the biolo-gical significance of DIR protein, the cloning of DIR gene, gene structure, catalytic mechanism, and the research progress in Isatis indigotica, Eucommia ulmoides, Forsythia suspensa, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Panax pseudoginseng var. notoginseng, and Schisandra chinensis, which provides a reference for the follow-up research of DIR gene.

[Identification and characterization of DIR gene family in Schisandra chinensis].

Dirigent(DIR) proteins are involved in the biosynthesis of lignin, lignans, and gossypol in plants and respond to biotic and abiotic stresses. Based on the full-length transcriptome of Schisandra chinensis, bioinformatics methods were used to preliminarily identify the DIR gene family and analyze the physico-chemical properties, subcellular localization, conserved motifs, phylogeny, and expression patterns of the proteins. The results showed that a total of 34 DIR genes were screened and the encoded proteins were 156-387 aa. The physico-chemical properties of the proteins were different and the secondary structure was mainly random coil. Half of the DIR proteins were located in chloroplast, while the others in extracellular region, endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasm, etc. Phylogenetic analysis of DIR proteins from S. chinensis and the other 8 species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Glycine max demonstrated that all DIR proteins were clustered into 5 subfamilies and that DIR proteins from S. chinensis were in 4 subfamilies. DIR-a subfamily has the unique structure of 8 ß-sheets, as verified by multiple sequence alignment. Finally, through the analysis of the transcriptome of S. chinensis fruit at different development stages, the expression pattern of DIR was clarified. Combined with the accumulation of lignans in fruits at different stages, DIR might be related to the synthesis of lignans in S. chinensis. This study lays a theoretical basis for exploring the biological functions of DIR genes and elucidating the biosynthesis pathway of lignans in S. chinensis.

[Molecular identification and efficacy analysis of herbs at Orussey Herbal Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia].

Cambodia is rich in medicinal plant resources. One hundred and thirty-three medicinal material samples, including the hole herb, root, stem/branch, leaf, flower, fruit, seed, and resin, were collected from the Orussey Herbal Market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and then authenticated by ITS and psbA-trnH. A total of 46 samples were identified based on ITS sequences, belonging to 24 families, 40 genera, and 42 species. A total of 100 samples were identified by psbA-trnH sequences to belong to 42 families, 77 genera, and 84 species. A total of 103 samples were identified by two DNA barcodes. According to the morphological characteristics of the medicinal materials, 120 samples classified into 50 species, 86 genera, and 86 families were identified, and the majority of them were from Zingiberaceae, Fabaceae, and Acanthaceae. Such samples have been commonly used in traditional Cambodian medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Unani medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and ethnomedicine, but different medical systems focus on different functional aspects of the same medicinal material. The results of this study have demonstrated that DNA barcoding has a significant advantage in identifying herbal products, and this study has provided basic data for understanding the traditional medicinal materials used in Cambodia.

Jinfukang regulates integrin/Src pathway and anoikis mediating circulating lung cancer cells migration.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Metastasis is the main cause of death in lung cancer patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may be an important target of metastasis intervention. Previous studies have shown that Jinfukang could prevent the recurrence and metastasis of lung cancer, and we have established a circulating lung tumor cell line CTC-TJH-01. However, whether Jinfukang inhibition of lung cancer metastasis is related to CTCs is still unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: To further explore the mechanism of Jinfukang in anti-metastasis of lung cancer from the perspective of intervention of CTCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CTC-TJH-01 and H1975 cells were treated with Jinfukang. Cell viability was detected by CCK8, and the cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Transwell was used to detected cell migration and invasion. Cell anoikis was detected by anoikis detection kit. Protein expression was analysis by Western blot. RESULTS: Jinfukang could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of CTC-TJH-01 and H1975 cells. Besides, Jinfukang could also induce anoikis in CTC-TJH-01 and H1975 cells. Analysis of the mRNA expression profile showed ECM-receptor interaction and focal adhesion were regulated by Jinfukang. Moreover, it was also find that Jinfukang significantly inhibited integrin/Src pathway in CTC-TJH-01 and H1975 cells. When suppress the expression of integrin with ATN-161, it could promote Jinfukang to inhibit migration and induce anoikis in CTC-TJH-01 and H1975 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the migration and invasion of CTCs are inhibited by Jinfukang, and the mechanism may involve the suppression of integrin/Src axis to induce anoikis. These data suggest that Jinfukang exerts anti-metastatic effects in lung cancer may through anoikis.

[Emission Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in a Typical Agricultural Small Watershed in Tuojiang River Basin].

The emission of nitrogen and phosphorus via non-point source pollution from a small watershed has become the main pollution source of river waters, while climatic conditions and human activities directly affect the changes in rainfall-runoff and types of land use that are closely related to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. In this study, we explore the runoff loss, nitrogen and phosphors concentration, and nitrogen and phosphorus emission in Huajiaogou small watershed on the upper reaches of Yangtze River. The rainfall, runoff, and temporal changes of nitrogen and phosphorus were analyzed using the continuous position monitoring data. The results showed that:① the runoff volumes were 10.05×105 m3 and 3.34×105 m3 from July 1st to September 30th, accounting for 76.58% and 56.51% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and they were positively correlated to rainfall. The peak concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) from April 1st to June 30th were 11.51 mg ·L-1 and 4.44 mg ·L-1in 2012 and 2013, respectively. ② The NH4+-N emission risk period was from July 1st to September 30th, accounting for 78.45% and 62.24% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The peak concentration and emission risk period of total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) were from July 1st to September 30th, and NO3--N was the main form of the total nitrogen emission. The peak concentration of NO3--N was 6.06 mg ·L-1 and 11.43 mg ·L-1in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and the loss in NO3--N from July 1st to September 30th accounted for 88.74% and 65.55% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. ③The emission risk period of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP), and particulate phosphorus (PP) was also from July 1st to September 30th, and the particulate phosphorus was the main form of the total phosphorus emission. The particulate phosphorus emission from July 1st to September 30th accounted for 36% and 68% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and the ration of particle phosphorus to total phosphorus was easily affected by rainfall.

[Simultaneous determination of six major isosteroidal alkaloids in Beimu by UPLC-ELSD].

An UPLC method was established for the direct determination of six major bioactive isosteroidal alkaloids, namely peimisine, imperialine, sipeimine-3-D-glucoside, verticinone, verticine and hupehenine from the bulbus of Fritillaria(Beimu), a commonly used antitussive traditional Chinese medicinal(TCM) herb. An Acquity UPLC~(TM) CSH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 µm) was used for all analysis. The investigated six compounds were all separated with gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.02% diethylamine-water-methanol at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1). The temperature of sample manager was set at 20 ℃. Drift tube temperature was 45 ℃, and spray parameter was 40% with injection volume of 1 µL. Then, the further quality assessment of Beimu was carried out by cluster analysis(CA) and principal component analysis(PCA). The investigated all had good linearity(r≥0.998 9) over the tested ranges. The method is simple, accurate and reproducible, and can be used for determining the content of six major bioactive isosteroidal alkaloids.

Comparing chloroplast genomes of traditional Chinese herbs Schisandra sphenanthera and S. chinensis.

Objective: Schisandra sphenanthera and S. chinensis are the two important medicinal plants that have long been used under the names of "Nan-Wuweizi" and "Wuweizi", respectively. The misuse of "Nan-Wuweizi" and "Wuweizi" in herbal medical products calls for an accurate method to distinguish these herbs. Chloroplast (cp) genomes have been widely used in species delimitation and phylogeny due to their uniparental inheritance and lower substitution rates than that of the nuclear genomes. To develop more efficient DNA markers for distinguishing S. sphenanthera, S. chinensis, and the related species, we sequenced the cp genome of S. sphenanthera and compared it to that of S. chinensis. Methods: The cp genome of S. sphenanthera was sequenced at the Illumina HiSeq platform, and the reference-guided mapping of contigs was obtained with a de novo assembly procedure. Then, comparative analyses of the cp genomes of S. sphenanthera and S. chinensis were carried out. Results: The cp genome of S. sphenanthera was 146 853 bp in length and consisted of a large single copy (LSC) region of 95 627 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18 292 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IR) of 16 467 bp. GC content was 39.6%. A total of 126 functional genes were predicted, of which 113 genes were unique, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and four ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Five tRNA, four protein-coding genes, and all rRNA were duplicated in the IR regions. There were 18 intron-containing genes, including six tRNA genes and 12 protein-coding genes. In addition, 45 SSRs were detected. The whole cp genome of S. sphenanthera was 123 bp longer than that of S. chinensis. A total of 474 SNPs and 97 InDels were identified. Five genetic regions with high levels of variation (Pi > 0.015), trnS-trnG, ccsA-ndhD, psbI-trnS, trnT-psbD and ndhF-rpl32 were revealed. Conclusion: We reported the cp genome of S. sphenanthera and revealed the SNPs and InDels between the cp genomes of S. sphenanthera and S. chinensis. This study shed light on the species identification and further phylogenetic study within the genus of Schisandra.

[Research methods and applications progress on spectrum-effect relationships in study of traditional Chinese medicine].

The application of chemical fingerprint to evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicine has been widely accepted and used in many countries. However,only by analyzing the type and content of its chemical components to evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicines,the gold standard of quality evaluation by evaluating pharmacodynamic effects is ignored. The study of Chinese medicinal spectrum-effect relationships combining the chemical composition with the pharmacodynamic activity of traditional Chinese medicine,which can evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicine from more comprehensive and different angles,has been applied in many fields of traditional Chinese medicine research. This paper mainly summarizes the research methods of the Chinese medicinal spectrum-effect relationships and its application in the field of traditional Chinese medicine study,and provides reference for the research,development and application of the Chinese medicinal spectrum-effect relationships.

[Decipherment of herb medicine Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi in Chinese ancient literature].

Nanwuweizi( Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus) and Wuweizi( Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus) have long-term history of use as common traditional Chinese medicines since the Eastern Han Dynasty( AD.25-220 year).However their information are always confused in ancient literature because they were both used as " Wuweizi". Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi are faced with problems such as confused distribution of producing areas,unclear source plants and efficacy characteristics,which limit modern resource development and application. Based on ancient literatures of materia medica,this study conducted a systematic review from several aspects,i.e. the name,distribution of producing areas,source plants,efficacy characteristics and processing of the two medicines in ancient time. This study clarified five main aspects,as following,ancient production areas and corresponding modern distribution areas; source plants used for medicinal purposes in ancient time; application period and application scope; efficacy characteristics in clinical application;processing method. This study provides a reference for evaluating the quality and for their clinical application and reasonable development of Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi.

Sesquiterpenes from an Endophytic Aspergillus flavus.

Eight new cadinene-sesquiterpenes (1-8), one eudesmane-sesquiterpene (9), and three known compounds (10-13) were isolated from an endophytic fungus, Aspergillus flavus, which was isolated from a toxic medicinal plant, Tylophora ovata. Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of spectroscopic data, and absolute configurations determined according to the specific rotation and electron circular dichroism methods. Compounds 4-8, 11, and 12 exhibited latent hepatic protection effects at 10 µM, and compound 12 selectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC50 values of 2.6 µM.

[Virtual screening of antithrombotic alkaloids from Houttuynia cordata].

Antithrombus is one of the effective methods to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,the author's previous research and relevant literature,it was found that the alkaloids in Houttuynia cordata has potential antithrombotic effect. However,the pharmacological substance basis and antithrombotic mechanism of H. cordata have not been clarified. In this study,molecular docking was used for virtual screening of antithrombotic alkaloids from H. cordata. Seventy alkaloids selected from H. cordata were screened in the docking ligand data-base with teen thrombosis targets with known crystal structures as the receptors. In addition,the small-molecule approved or to be approved drugs of targets from Drug Bank database were set as a positive reference with minimum score(S value) of each target's approved or to be approved drugs as threshold. The Dock module in Molecular Operating Environment(Version 2016) software was applied to screen the potential active compounds which their scores(S value) were lower than the minimum score of reference. At last the mechanism of antithrombotic effect was preliminarily revealed by compared the main active sites of the test alkaloids with original ligands and references. This study provided some useful information to development of antithrombus drugs.

Four New Lignans from Kadsura Interior and Their Bioactivity.

A phytochemical investigation of the stems of Kadsura interior has led to an isolation of four new lignans, named kadsutherin E⁻H (1⁻4), together with two known lignans (5⁻6). The structures of the four new compounds were established on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1⁻6 exhibited inhibition against adenosine diphosphate (ADP) induced platelet aggregation. Among the isolated compounds, kadsutherin F (2) showed the strongest anti-platelet aggregation activity with an inhibition of 49.47%.

Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Codonopsis: A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Species of the genus Codonopsis are perennial herbs mainly distributed throughout East, Southeast and Central Asia. As recorded, they have been used as traditional Chinese medicines since the Qing Dynasty, where they were claimed for strengthening the spleen and tonifying the lung, as well as nourishing blood and engendering liquid. Some species are also used as food materials in southern China and Southeast Asia, such as tea, wine, soup, plaster, and porridge. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The review aims to assess the ethnopharmacological uses, explicit the material basis and pharmacological action, promote the safety of medical use, and suggest the future research potentials of Codonopsis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information on the studies of Codonopsis was collected from scientific journals, books, and reports via library and electronic data search (PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, Google Scholar, Springer, Science Direct, Wiley, Researchgate, ACS, EMBASE, Web of Science and CNKI). Meanwhile, it was also obtained from published works of material medica, folk records, ethnopharmacological literatures, Ph.D. and Masters Dissertation. Plant taxonomy was confirmed to the database "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org). RESULTS: Codonopsis has been used for medicinal purposes all around the world. Some species are also used as food materials in southern China and Southeast Asia. The chemical constituents of Codonopsis mainly are polyacetylenes, polyenes, flavonoids, lignans, alkaloids, coumarins, terpenoids, steroids, organic acids, saccharides, and so on. Extract of Codonopsis exhibit extensive pharmacological activities, including immune function regulation, hematopoiesis improvement, cardiovascular protection, neuroprotection, gastrointestinal function regulation, endocrine function regulation, cytotoxic and antibacterial effects, anti-aging and anti-oxidation, etc. Almost no obvious toxicity or side effect are observed and recorded for Codonopsis. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Codonopsis are reviewed in this paper. Species of the genus have long been used as traditional medicines and food materials, they are reported with a large number of chemical constituents with different structures, extensive pharmacological activities in immune system, blood system, digestive system, etc. and almost no toxicity. More profound studies on less popular species, pharmacodynamic material basis and pharmacological mechanism, and quality assurance are suggested to be carried out to fulfil the research on the long-term clinical use and new drug research of Codonopsis.

Feishu Acupuncture Inhibits Acetylcholine Synthesis and Restores Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M2 Expression in the Lung When Treating Allergic Asthma.

Acupuncture was proven beneficial in treating allergic inflammation. We aimed to explore the regulation underlying the effects of acupuncture on Feishu, an acupoint most commonly used in the acupuncture therapy for respiratory diseases, with respect to the system of sympathetic nerve neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach). Male Wistar rats were randomly grouping. No treatment was taken in the normal group. Allergic asthma was induced using ovalbumin on the model, Feishu acupuncture, and sham acupuncture groups; then control or acupuncture treatment lasting for 3 weeks was performed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the four groups was examined. And pulmonary tissues were subjected to histological analysis with H&E staining; besides, immunofluorescent staining, quantitative PCR, and western blot were used to detect synthetase (ChAT) and Ach hydrolase (AchE), and its muscarinic receptors (mAchRs) M1-M3. There was inflammatory infiltration in the lung upon allergic asthma, which was alleviated by the Feishu acupuncture. The eosinophilic granulocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in BALF from the Feishu acupuncture group were all significantly decreased compared with those of the model and sham acupuncture groups. The specific acupuncture on Feishu upon allergic asthma put down the pulmonary expression of ChAT, repaired at the level of gene expression the pulmonary expression of mAchR M1, and restored the pulmonary expression of mAchR M2 (especially in the bronchiolar epithelium) which has a role in inhibiting Ach release; while sham acupuncture had no effect. These results confirmed the therapeutic effects of Feishu acupuncture on allergic asthma, suggesting that the mechanisms may involve suppression of the Ach signal both from its synthesis and during its release.

[Influence of different cultivation measures on the content of three free carbohydrates of Codonopsis Radix].

To provide a scientific evidence for the quality control of Codonopsis Radix, a method was established for determining the content of three free carbohydrates of Codonopsis Radix. The developed method showed good linearity. The calibration curves were linear within the range of 2.312 5-18.500 0 µg for sucrose, 1.500 0-12.000 0 µg for glucose, and 2.000 0-16.000 0 µg for fructose, resgectwely. The recoveries varied between 96.31%-101.8%. The method is simple, accurate and reproducible, and can be used for determining the content of sucrose, glucose and fructose of Codonopsis Radix. The results showed that different cultivation measures had an effect on the content of three free carbohydrates of Codonopsis Radix. According to the content of sucrose, using Zhuanggenling>not using Zhuanggenling. While, not pinching, shelving>not pinching, not shelving>pinching, not shelving>pinching, shelving. According to the content of glucose and fructose, not using Zhuanggenling>using Zhuanggenling. While, pinching, shelving>not pinching, not shelving>not pinching, shelving>pinching, not shelving. In consideration of the differences of sweetness and content of the three free carbohydrates in Codonopsis Radix, we recommend that the content of free carbohydrates could be considered as the marker to evaluate the quality of Codonopsis Radix.