Use of the traditional Chinese medicine "compound healthy ear agent" to protect against age-related hearing loss in mice: A proteomics study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) called "compound healthy ear agent" (CHEA) had anti-apoptosis effects in cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons, and could protect mice hearing against presbycusis or age-related hearing loss (AHL), as well as aminoglycoside antibiotic-induced ototoxicity. Because its mechanisms of action are still unclear, we investigated the mechanism of action of CHEA against AHL in mice using proteomics techniques. Methods: Eighteen C57BL/6J mice at 1 month of age were randomly divided into three groups: (A) drinking water until 2 months of age, K2M); (B) drinking water until 7 months of age to induce AHL, K7M; (C) drinking water containing CHEA daily until 7 months of age as treatment group, Z7M. At 2 or 7 months mice were sacrificed and their cochleae were removed for proteomics analysis. Results: The numbers of proteins with a false discovery rate (FDR) < 1% were respectively 5873 for qualitative and 5492 for quantitative statistics. The numbers of proteins with differential enrichment at least 1.5-fold (p < 0.05) were respectively 351 for K7M vs K2M groups, 52 for Z7M vs K7M groups, 264 for Z7M vs K2M groups. The differentially expressed proteins in the Z7M group were involved in synaptic molecular transmission, energy metabolism, immune response, antioxidant defenses, and anti-apoptosis. Conclusion: The TCM CHEA played a protective role against AHL in mice by regulating the expression of specific proteins and genes in cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. Besides the pathways expected to be involved (antioxidant and anti-apoptosis), proteins related to immune response is a new finding of the present study.

Targeting the PHF8/YY1 axis suppresses cancer cell growth through modulation of ROS.

High levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) are linked to cancer development, which is tightly controlled by the electron transport chain (ETC). However, the epigenetic mechanisms governing ETC gene transcription to drive mROS production and cancer cell growth remain to be fully characterized. Here, we report that protein demethylase PHF8 is overexpressed in many types of cancers, including colon and lung cancer, and is negatively correlated with ETC gene expression. While it is well known to demethylate histones to activate transcription, PHF8 demethylates transcription factor YY1, functioning as a co-repressor for a large set of nuclear-coded ETC genes to drive mROS production and cancer development. In addition to genetically ablating PHF8, pharmacologically targeting PHF8 with a specific chemical inhibitor, iPHF8, is potent in regulating YY1 methylation, ETC gene transcription, mROS production, and cell growth in colon and lung cancer cells. iPHF8 exhibits potency and safety in suppressing tumor growth in cell-line- and patient-derived xenografts in vivo. Our data uncover a key epigenetic mechanism underlying ETC gene transcriptional regulation, demonstrating that targeting the PHF8/YY1 axis has great potential to treat cancers.

Characterization of the Chemical Constituents in Radix gentianae by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Radix gentianae (RG) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis in clinic. However, the chemical profile of RG is still unconfirmed, which hindered the progress of pharmacological study and clinical application. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography together with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry techniques were employed to separate and characterize the chemical constituents in RG. Under the optimized conditions, a total of 60 compounds were rapidly identified or tentatively characterized. Results indicated that iridoid glucosides, flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids, saccharides and nucleosides were major constituents in RG. It is concluded the established method can help to clarify the substance basis and provide useful information for ascertaining the bioactive constituents and action mechanism of RG.

Density-oriented deep eutectic solvent-based system for the selective separation of polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus var. Mongholicus under ultrasound-assisted conditions.

The water extraction and ethanol precipitation method is an extraction method based on the solubility characteristics of polysaccharides that offers wide applicability in the extraction and separation of plant polysaccharides. However, this method leads to large amounts of proteins, nucleic acids, pigments, and other impurities in the polysaccharides products, which makes downstream purification complicated and time-consuming. In this study, a green, high-density natural deep eutectic solvents was used for the high-purity extraction and separation of polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge. var. Mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao roots under ultrasound-assisted conditions. In this study, 16 different natural deep eutectic solvents were designed to screen the best solvent for extracting Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs). Based on the yield and recovery of APSs, a natural deep eutectic solvents composed of choline chloride and oxalic acid with a molar ratio of 1:2 was selected. The related factors affecting polysaccharides extraction and solvent precipitation were investigated. To improve the operating methodology, single-factor trials, a Plackett-Burman design, and a Box-Behnken design were used. The optimal extraction process conditions were obtained as follows: water content of 55%, liquid-solid ratio of 24 mL/g, ultrasonic irradiation time of 54 min, ultrasonic irradiation temperature of 50 °C, ultrasonic irradiation power of 480 W, ethanol precipitation time of 24 h, and ethanol concentration of 75%. Under optimal extraction conditions, the recovery of APSs was 61.4 ± 0.6 mg/g. Considering the special matrix characteristics of A. membranaceus var. Mongholicus roots, physical-technology-based ultrasonic waves promote penetration, and the mass transfer function also solves the bottleneck of high-viscosity deep eutectic solvents in the extraction stage. In comparison with the conventional method, the proposed method based on deep eutectic solvents isolation can significantly increase APSs recovery, which is beneficial to simplifying the process of polysaccharides purification by using solvent properties to separate extracts and reduce impurities in APSs.

Improving the accuracy of nonpoint-source pollution estimates in inland waters with coupled satellite-UAV data.

Quantitatively and accurately analyzing nonpoint-source (NPS) pollution is essential for efficiently preventing the input of NPS loads into inland waters. However, the accuracy of previous NPS pollution models is limited by the accuracy of ground parameter data. In addition, there are few effective methods that thoroughly verify modeling results at large scales. This paper presents a framework for accurate NPS pollution estimation by coupling satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitoring data, and the results are verified by both field sampling and a newly developed inlet NPS pollution "observation" simulation method. Fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) data obtained by satellite were used to improve the accuracy of the runoff module of the framework. Satellite and UAV data were coupled to acquire livestock data, determine inlets, and identify reservoir buffer zones and vegetation types. These new data were then used to improve the accuracy of the livestock and runoff modules in the framework. The results show that the estimation accuracy of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, and chemical oxygen demand with FVC were improved by 39.96%, 69.29%, 54.05% and 47.22% (in relative error), respectively. The high-resolution livestock data acquisition improved the estimation accuracy of the NPS pollution load by 7-53%. The high-resolution inlet extraction improved the accuracy by 3-24%. The high-resolution buffer zone identification improved the accuracy with the estimated NPS pollutant concentration into reservoir decreasing by 60-99%. Finally, the high-resolution vegetation type identification improved the accuracy by 10-72%. The framework performs satisfactorily, which was verified based on the simulated NPS observations with an average relative error of 11.54-24.31%. We found that the FVC, livestock number, and inlet number are key parameters for NPS pollution modeling; the introduction of monthly variation in the FVC makes the modeled NPS pollution load much higher in areas with mature complex forested ecosystems or densely distributed vegetation but much lower in areas with sparsely distributed vegetation. The above methods provide a scientific reference for high-efficiency NPS pollution prevention in inland waters, laying a solid basis for decision-making regarding water quality management in data-scarce regions around the world.

Research Progress on Dysemenorrhea of Essential Oils of Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological disease in clinic， with primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is usually not accompanied by organic lesions in genital organs， which is mainly related to the increase of prostaglandin content in endometrium during menstruation. Secondary dysmenorrhea is accompanied by organic lesions of reproductive organs， often associated with local lesions of reproductive organs， but also with patients' mental factors and neuroendocrine factors.The incidence of dysmenorrhea is as high as 73.8%， and there is no radical cure method， which has a great impact on the life， work and learning of patients. Chinese medicine essential oil widely exists in aromatic Chinese medicine， with antibacterial， antioxidant and anticancer activities. It can regulate neuroendocrine function， anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects， and improve mood by regulating the levels of prostaglandins， oxytocin and other hormones in the body and regulating the emotions of patients， there by alleviating dysmenorrhea to a certain extent. In recent years， many scholars have made more in-depth research on Chinese medicine essential oil in alleviating dysmenorrhea， but there is a lack of comprehensive collation of such studies. In this regard， the author has systematically sorted out the generation and classification of dysmenorrhea， the mechanism of action of essential oil of traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate dysmenorrhea and the application of essential oil of traditional Chinese medicine in the field of dysmenorrhea by consulting relevant literature in Chinese and foreign languages in recent years， so as to provide reference for the treatment of dysmenorrhea.

Acupuncture for improving neuroinflammation in vascular dementia rats by regulating Th1/Th2 cells balance in peripheral blood / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupuncture on the balance of T helper (Th) 1/Th2 cells in peripheral blood, inflammatory reaction and intracerebral neuroinflammation in vascular dementia (VD) rats, and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture for improving cognitive function in VD.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 SPF Wistar rats were randomized into a normal group (n=12), a sham operation group (n=12) and an operation group (n=36). Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion was adopted to establish the VD model in rats of the operation group. The rats of successful modeling were randomized into a model group and an acupuncture group, 12 rats in each one. In the acupuncture group, Sanjiao acupuncture was applied at "Danzhong" (CV 17), "Zhongwan" (CV 12), "Qihai" (CV 6), "Xuehai" (SP 10) and "Zusanli" (ST 36), the needles were manipulated for 30 s at each acupoint, without retaining. The intervention was given once a day for 15 days, and there was 1-day rest on day 8. Morris water maze test was adopted to observe the ethology, flow cytometry was used to detect the ratio of Th1/Th2 in peripheral blood, and Luminex liquid chip technology was used to detect the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum and hippocampus.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in various indexes between the normal group and the sham operation group (P>0.05). Compared with the sham operation group, in the model group, the escape latency of hidden platform test and reversal platform test was prolonged (P<0.01), the residence time of the original platform quadrant was shortened and the number of crossing the original platform was reduced in probe test (P<0.01, P<0.05), the proportion of Th1 cells was increased, the proportion of Th2 cells was decreased and the ratio of Th1/Th2 cells was increased in peripheral blood (P<0.01), the levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ were increased, the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were decreased in serum and hippocampus (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the acupuncture group, the escape latency of hidden platform test and reversal platform test was shortened (P<0.01), the residence time of the original platform quadrant of the probe test was prolonged (P<0.05), the proportion of Th1 cells was decreased, the proportion of Th2 cells was increased and the ratio of Th1 / Th2 cells was decreased in peripheral blood (P<0.05), the levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ were decreased, the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased in serum and hippocampus (P<0.05, P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture can improve the cognitive dysfunction and reduce the intracerebral neuroinflammation in VD rats, its mechanism may relate to the regulation of Th1/Th2 cells balance and reduce the inflammatory reaction in peripheral blood.

Advances in Experimental and Clinical Research of the Gouty Arthritis Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Gouty arthritis (GA) is a multifactorial disease whose pathogenesis is utterly complex, and the current clinical treatment methods cannot wholly prevent GA development. Western medicine is the primary treatment strategy for gouty arthritis, but it owns an unfavorable prognosis. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of GA are essential. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been adopted for GA prevention and treatment for thousands of years. Gout patients are usually treated with TCM according to their different conditions, and long-term results can be achieved by improving their physical condition. And TCM has been proved to be an effective method to treat gout in modern China. Nevertheless, the pharmacological mechanism of TCM for gout is still unclear, which limits its spread. The theory of prevention and treatment of gout with TCM is more well acknowledged in China than in abroad. In this article, Chinese herbs and ancient formula for gout were summarized first. A total of more than 570 studies published from 2004 to June 2021 in PubMed, Medline, CNKI, VIP, Web of Science databases and Chinese Pharmacopoeia and traditional Chinese books were searched; the current status of TCM in the treatment of GA was summarized from the following aspects: articular chondrocyte apoptosis inhibition, antioxidative stress response, inflammatory cytokine levels regulation, uric acid excretion promotion, immune function regulation, uric acid reduction, and intestinal flora improvement in subjects with gout. The literature review concluded that TCM has a specific curative effect on the prevention and treatment of GA, particularly when combined with modern medical approaches. However, lacking a uniform definition of GA syndrome differentiation and the support of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice have provoked considerable concern in previous studies, which needs to be addressed in future research.

Research Progress in Anti-alcoholic Effect of Puerariae Lobatae Radix / 中国实验方剂学杂志

With advanced brewing technology and contemporary table culture， alcohol drinking， which can be traced back to Dukang wine in the Xia dynasty， is very common in China. However， excessive alcohol intake can easily cause alcohol liver damage， ranging from abdominal pain and venous thrombosis to severe hypoglycemia and fat embolism， coma shock and even life-threatening cases. Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a cool property and sweet taste， with functions of antipyretic， promoting the secretion of saliva or body fluid， rash and hangover alleviation， and so on. It was first recorded in Shen Nong's Materia Medica and has been listed as a special anti-alcoholic medicine in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. For example， the ancient medical book Compendium of Materia Medica and other records claim that Puerariae Lobatae Radix has the effect of relieving alcohol and protecting the liver. At the same time， Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a long history in both medicine and food. It was listed in the List of Articles That Both Serve as Food and Medicine published by the National Health Commission. Therefore， there are many products containing pueraria for hangover and liver protection. Prior to this， many scholars have carried out relevant researches on the anti-alcoholism efficacy of Puerariae Lobatae Radix， but there is a lack of systematic summaries. The author has consulted relevant domestic and foreign literatures in recent years. The related products were summarized and it was found that the anti-alcoholic effect of pueraria root mainly came from puerarin， pueraria flavonoids and pueraria polysaccharide， puerarin polypeptide， pueraria daidzein and its derivatives， including the main mechanisms such as inhibiting alcohol absorption， accelerating metabolism， anti-oxidation， protection of liver and cardiomyocytes， and neuroprotection. Related products are abundant and well evaluated， but research on related genes needs to be deepened. This article reviews the main anti-alcoholic components， mechanism of action and related products of pueraria， and puts forward suggestions for future research directions， hoping to provide reference for further related research.

Research Progress on Pain Relief of Essential Oils of Traditional Chinese Medicine：A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Volatile oil is widely distributed in Chinese medicinal materials with complex chemical components. The main components are terpenes， aromatics， aliphatics， and nitrogen and sulfur containing. It has a variety of pharmacological activities. Such as antibacterial， anti-inflammatory， analgesic， anti-tumor， anti-oxidant， anti-aging and so on. It is widely used in medical and health care， agricultural efficiency enhancement， and daily products. In recent years， there have been a large number of studies on the pain relief of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） essential oils， but there is no systematic generalization. The author found that the mechanism of TCM essential oils to exert analgesic effects mainly includes regulation of the central nervous system， anti-inflammatory and analgesic， antispasmodic and analgesic effects by consulting Chinese and foreign literatures in recent years， but the exact mechanism needs to be further verified. This article reviews the research progress of TCM essential oil pain relief from the aspects of pain classification， generation， analgesic mechanism and combination of other technologies， in order to provide reference for related research in the future.

Genome-wide analysis of hippocampal transfer RNA-derived small RNAs identifies new potential therapeutic targets of Bushen Tiansui formula against Alzheimer's disease / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Bushen Tiansui formula (BSTSF), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has been widely used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain largely unknown. In this study, a rat AD model was used to study the effects of BSTSF on cognitive performance and expression of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) in the hippocampus, to determine whether treatment of AD with BSTSF could regulate the expression of tsRNAs, a novel small non-coding RNA.@*METHODS@#To generate a validated AD model, oligomeric amyloid-β@*RESULTS@#The learning and memory deficits of Aβ@*CONCLUSION@#This study identified a previously uncharacterized mechanism underlying the effects of BSTSF in alleviating the learning and memory deficits in Aβ

Species traits and decomposability predict water quality changes during litter submergence.

Plant litter plays an important role in affecting the water quality of wetland ecosystems. However, it is unknown whether litter decomposability and species traits might predict water quality changes during litter submergence. Here, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to examine the effects of four submerged plant species, together with two water sources (sampled from tourism and protected areas), and oxygen injection treatments on the changes of eight water quality parameters during litter submergence. Our results showed that litter submergence significantly affected water quality changes, and the observed effects changed through time and differed between two water sources, between oxygen injection and the control treatments, and among different litter species. Moreover, water electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), water total nitrogen (TN), ammonium and nitrite nitrogen increased with increasing initial litter total carbon (TC), TN and total phosphorus (TP), but water dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased with increasing litter TC, TN and TP. Moreover, water EC, TDS and TN increased with the final mass losses after 10-week submergence. These results indicated that species traits (including decomposability) might be good predictors for the water quality changes during litter submergence, and such a trait-based approach might be a promising tool to link plant species diversity via plant functional traits to water quality or other wetland ecosystem services.

Simultaneous determination of eight bioactive constituents of Zhi-Zi-Hou-Po decoction in rat plasma by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Zhi-Zi-Hou-Po Decoction, consisting of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils., and Citrus aurantium L, is a classical Traditional Chinese Medicine formula for the treatment of depression. In order to make good and rational use of this formula in the future, a sensitive, selective, and reliable ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for simultaneous determination of two iridoid glycosides (geniposide and genipin gentiobioside), two lignans (honokiol and magnolol), four flavonoid glycosides (isonaringin, naringin, hesperidin, and neohesperidin), the major bioactive constituents of Zhi-Zi-Hou-Po Decoction, in rat plasma using paeoniflorin as internal standard. Plasma samples were pretreated by a simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was performed on a shim-pack XR-ODS C18 column (75 × 3.0 mm, 2.2 µm) using gradient elution with mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Mass spectrometric detection was conducted on a 3200 QTRAP mass spectrometry equipped with electrospray ionization source in negative ionization mode. Quantification was performed using multiple reactions monitoring mode. Calibration curves exhibited good linearity (r > 0.9947) over a wide concentration range for all analytes, and the lower limits of quantification were 10, 5, 1, 5, 1, 5, 1, and 5 ng/mL for geniposide, genipin gentiobioside, honokiol, magnolol, isonaringin, naringin, hesperidin, and neohesperidin, respectively. The intraday and interday precisions at three quality control levels were less than 12.3% and the accuracies ranged from -11.2 to 10.7%. Extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability were satisfactory in rat plasma. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of the eight analytes after oral administration of Zhi-Zi-Hou-Po decoction to rats.

Establishment of an in vitro system based on AGM-S3 co-culture for screening traditional herbal medicines that stimulate hematopoiesis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Spatholobus suberectus Dunn is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that can activate blood, dispel stasis, inhibit platelet aggregation, and stimulate hematopoiesis, and thereby treat anemia and diseases related to blood stasis syndrome (BSS). However, its hematopoiesis-stimulating activity is not well understood. AIM OF STUDY: Four phenolic compounds (daidzein, formononetin, catechin, and procyandin B2) were isolated and purified from stems of S. suberectus, and tested using an in vitro hematopoiesis system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An AGM-S3 co-culture system for hematopoiesis derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) was employed to explore effects on hematopoiesis. At different stages, extracts from Spatholobus suberectus Dunn were added to the co-culture system at concentrations of 2, 10, or 50 µM, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), hematopoietic colony culturing, and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to probe changes in hematopoietic progenitors and erythroid progenitors. RESULTS: When H1 hESCs co-cultured with AGM-S3 were added along with 10 µM catechin from day 12 (D12), proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic and erythroid progenitors from hESCs was increased based on FACS with antibodies recognizing CD34/CD45 and GPA/CD71. Hematopoiesis colony culturing further confirmed the promotion effect of catechin on hematopoiesis, and other active fractions did not significantly promote hematopoiesis. qRT-PCR revealed that some important genes related to hematopoiesis and erythroid were up-regulated followed catechin exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that catechin, an active ingredient of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, can increase the efficiency of hematopoiesis, including hematopoietic and erythroid progenitors, consistent with previous reports. The AGM-S3 co-culture system could provide an effective tool for screening active compounds in TCMs that promote hematopoiesis, and may be of clinical and pharmaceutical use.

[Lapidus operation combined with bone setting manipulation in treatment of hallux valgus in elderly patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of Lapidus operation combined with bone setting manipulation of traditional Chinese medicine in treating hallux valgus in elderly patients. METHODS: From March 2013 to October 2017, 53 elderly patients (87 feet) with hallux valgus were treated with Lapidus operation combined with bone-setting manipulation of traditional Chinese medicine, including 12 males (18 feet) and 41 females (69 feet), ranging in age from 65 to 92 years old, with an average of (76.3±4.8) years old. Visual analogue scale(VAS) was used to evaluate the degree of relief of foot pain before and 26 months after operation. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS) was used to evaluate the function of foot pain. The changes of hallux valgus angle(HVA angle), interphalangeal angle (IMA angle) and metatarsal wedge angle(MCA angle) were compared on X-ray films. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 12 to 42 months, with an average of(26.0±2.7) months. In all patients, the first metatarsal joint reached bone fusion within 6 to 8 months, with an average of 4.7 months. The preoperative VAS score was 8.06±1.44, which was significantly different from 2.14±1.98 at 26 months(P<0.05). The preoperative AOFAS score was 53.90±7.89, which was significantly different from 92.80±2.78 at 26 months(P<0.05). The HVA, IMA and MCA were significantly improved from preoperative(38.60±2.72)°, (21.90±1.91)° and(20.90±2.20)° to the latest follow-up(17.80±1.94)°, (9.70±2.56)° and(11.70±0.48)°(P<0.05). According AOFAS score, 74 feet got an excellent result, 11 good and 2 fair. CONCLUSIONS: Lapidus operation combined with bone-setting manipulation of traditional Chinese medicine on the treatment of hallux valgus foot in elderly patients has satisfactory clinical effects, shortens the time of osteotomy and fixation, protects the soft tissue around the osteotomy end and promotes the bone fusion on the most satisfactory position.

[Study on dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma based on theory of dry-dry and dryness-induced Yin deficiency].

In order to establish a more perfect evaluation system for dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma, determine the main dry parts of Atractylodis Rhizoma，and further define the mechanism of stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma in reducing the dryness. The healthy rats were given with different doses of water extract and volatile oil of raw Atractylodis Rhizoma and stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma for 21 days. Based on the theory of the dry-dry and dryness-induced Yin deficiency, the amount of drinking water, tissue morphology of submandibular glands, urine volume and the expression of aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in the kidneys, as well as blood rheology, ratio of cAMP/cGMP in serum and the content of Na⁺-K⁺-ATP enzyme were selected as the evaluation indexes. The results indicated that the rats with high dose volatile oil from raw Atractylodis Rhizoma had a significant increase in the amount of drinking water, urine volume, blood viscosity, ratio of cAMP/cGMP and content of Na⁺-K⁺-ATP enzyme in the serum（P<0.05）as compared with the soybean oil group; meanwhile, atrophy of submandibular acinar gland was obvious，and the expression of aquaporin 2 was reduced significantly（P<0.05）. There were significant differences between volatile oil high dose group of raw Atractylodis Rhizoma and volatile oil high dose group of stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma. There was no significant difference between the water extract groups of raw and stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma and the saline group. A comprehensive evaluation system for the dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma was established. It was confirmed that the volatile oil part was the main dry part of Atractylodis Rhizoma. It revealed that the mechanism of dryness effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma was not only related to the decrease of the total content of the volatile oil, but also may be related to the transformation of dryness components in the volatile oil. It provides references for the study of material basis of Atractylodis Rhizoma dryness, provides an experimental basis for the clinical application of Atractylodis Rhizoma, further clarifies the mechanism of stir-baked Atractylodis Rhizoma in reducing the dryness, and provides thoughts for the evaluation of other dry traditional Chinese medicines.

Plant Litter Submergence Affects the Water Quality of a Constructed Wetland.

Plant litter is an indispensable component of constructed wetlands, but how the submergence of plant litter affects their ecosystem functions and services, such as water purification, is still unclear. Moreover, it is also unclear whether the effects of plant litter submergence depend on other factors such as the duration of litter submergence, water source or litter species identity. Here we conducted a greenhouse experiment by submerging the litter of 7 wetland plant species into three types of water substrates and monitoring changes in water nutrient concentrations. Litter submergence affected water quality positively via decreasing the concentration of nitrate nitrogen and negatively via increasing the concentrations of total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen and total phosphorus. The effects of litter submergence depended on the duration of litter submergence, the water source, the litter species identity, and the plant life form. Different plant species had different effects on the water nutrient concentrations during litter submergence, and the effects of floating plants might be more negative than that of emergent plants. These results are novel evidence of how the submergence of different plant (life form) litter may affect the purification function of constructed wetlands. For water at low eutrophication levels, submerging a relative small amount of plant litter might improve water quality, via benefiting the denitrification process in water. These findings emphasized the management of floating plant litter (a potential removal) during the maintenance of human-controlled wetland ecosystems and provided a potential tool to improve the water quality of constructed wetlands via submerging plant litter of different types.

Effects of Ginsenoside Rg1 on Learning and Memory in a Reward-directed Instrumental Conditioning Task in Chronic Restraint Stressed Rats.

Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the major active ingredients of Panax ginseng and has showed notable improving learning and memory effects in several behavioral tasks, such as water maze, shuttle-box, and step-through, based on avoidance. However, there was no report about the role of Rg1 on the performance of reward-directed instrumental conditioning, which could reflect the adaptive capacity to ever-changing environments. Thus, in this study, the reward devaluation test and conditional visual discrimination task were conducted to study the ameliorating effects of Rg1 on cognitive deficits, especially the loss of adaptation capacity in chronic restraint stress (CRS) rat model. Our results showed that rat subjected to CRS became insensitive to the changes in outcome value, and it significantly harmed the rat's performance in conditional visual discrimination task. Moreover, the levels of BDNF, TrkB, and Erk phosphorylation were decreased in the prefrontal cortex of CRS rats. However, these changes were effectively reversed by Rg1 (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.). Therefore, it demonstrated that Rg1 has a good ability to improve learning and memory and also ameliorate impaired adaptive capacity induced by CRS. This amelioration effect of Rg1 might be mediated partially by BDNF/TrkB/Erk pathway in prefrontal cortex. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dan-gua fang improves glycolipid metabolic disorders by promoting hepatic adenosine 5'-monophosphate activated protein kinase expression in diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Dan-gua Fang on adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) activated protein kinase (AMPK) α expression in liver and subsequent improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism. METHODS: Forty 13-week-old diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were randomly divided into model, Dan-gua Fang, metformin and simvastatin groups (n=10 for each), and fed high-fat diet ad libitum. Ten Wistar rats were used as normal group and fed normal diet. After 24 weeks, liver expression of AMPKα mRNA was assessed by real-time PCR. AMPKα and phospho-AMPKα protein expression in liver was evaluated by Western blot. Liver histomorphology was carried out after hematoxylin-eosin staining, and blood glucose (BG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), food intake and body weight recorded. RESULTS: Similar AMPKα mRNA levels were found in the Dan-gua Fang group and normal group, slightly higher than the values obtained for the remaining groups (P<0.05). AMPKα protein expression in the Dan-gua Fang group animals was similar to other diabetic rats, whereas phospho-AMPKα (Thr-172) protein levels were markedly higher than in the metformin group and simvastatin group (P<0.05), respectively. However, phosphor-AMPKα/AMPKα ratios were similar in all groups. Dan-gua Fang reduced fasting blood glucose with similar strength to metformin, and was superior in reducing cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as improving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in comparison with simvastatin and metformin. Dan-gua Fang decreases plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) significantly. CONCLUSION: Dan-gua Fang, while treating phlegm-stasis, could decrease BG and lipid in type 2 diabetic GK rats fed with high-fat diet, and effectively protect liver histomorphology and function. This may be partly explained by increased AMPK expression in liver. Therefore, Dan-gua Fang might be an ideal drug for comprehensive intervention for glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Plant interactions with changes in coverage of biological soil crusts and water regime in Mu Us Sandland, China.

Plant interactions greatly affect plant community structure. Dryland ecosystems are characterized by low amounts of unpredictable precipitation as well as by often having biological soil crusts (BSCs) on the soil surface. In dryland plant communities, plants interact mostly as they compete for water resources, and the direction and intensity of plant interaction varies as a function of the temporal fluctuation in water availability. Since BSCs influence water redistribution to some extent, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the intensity and direction of plant interactions in a dryland plant community can be modified by BSCs. In the experiment, 14 combinations of four plant species (Artemisia ordosica, Artemisia sphaerocephala, Chloris virgata and Setaria viridis) were subjected to three levels of coverage of BSCs and three levels of water supply. The results show that: 1) BSCs affected plant interaction intensity for the four plant species: a 100% coverage of BSCs significantly reduced the intensity of competition between neighboring plants, while it was highest with a 50% coverage of BSCs in combination with the target species of A. sphaerocephala and C. virgata; 2) effects of the coverage of BSCs on plant interactions were modified by water regime when the target species were C. virgata and S. viridis; 3) plant interactions were species-specific. In conclusion, the percent coverage of BSCs affected plant interactions, and the effects were species-specific and could be modified by water regimes. Further studies should focus on effects of the coverage of BSCs on plant-soil hydrological processes.