Uncovering the mechanism of Maxing Ganshi Decoction on asthma from a systematic perspective: A network pharmacology study.

Maxing Ganshi Decoction (MXGSD) is used widely for asthma over thousands of years, but its underlying pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, systematic and comprehensive network pharmacology was utilized for the first time to reveal the potential pharmacological mechanisms of MXGSD on asthma. Specifically, we collected 141 bioactive components from the 600 components in MXGSD, which shared 52 targets common to asthma-related ones. In-depth network analysis of these 52 common targets indicated that asthma might be a manifestation of systemic neuro-immuno-inflammatory dysfunction in the respiratory system, and MXGSD could treat asthma through relieving airway inflammation, improving airway remodeling, and increasing drug responsiveness. After further cluster and enrichment analysis of the protein-protein interaction network of MXGSD bioactive component targets and asthma-related targets, we found that the neurotrophin signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and ErbB signaling pathway might serve as the key points and principal pathways of MXGSD gene therapy for asthma from a systemic and holistic perspective, and also provides a novel idea for the development of new drugs for asthma.

Analysis of Dietary Related Factors of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis among College Students.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the occurrence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) among college students and its potential influence by dietary habits. METHODS: Study of dietary habits and RAS among students in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine was carried by homemade questionnaire. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify RAS risk factors and explore their relations. RESULTS: Among 1011 investigated college students, family history (odds ratio (OR) 1.678, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.192 to 2.364, p < 0.05), bed late (OR 1.515, 95% CI 1.005 to 2.285, p < 0.05), frequent thirst (OR 1.842, 95% CI 1.393 to 2.435, p < 0.001), and frequent drinking carbonated beverages (OR 1.369, 95% CI 1.029 to 1.821, p < 0.05) were independent risk factors for RAS, but preference for nuts (OR 0.607, 95% CI 0.448 to 0.824, p < 0.001) was a protective factor. There was no statistical difference in fruit intake between RAS and non-RAS groups (χ2 = 5.249, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Among college students, frequent drinking carbonated beverages or frequent thirst will increase its possibility, whereas preference for nuts provides protection. In addition, fruit intake does not have a positive effect.