HS-SPME coupled with GC-MS for elucidating differences between the volatile components in wild and cultivated Atractylodes chinensis.

INTRODUCTION: Atractylodes chinensis is a Chinese herb that is used in traditional medicine; it contains volatile components that have enormous potential for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic applications. The destruction of wild resources demands significant improvement in the quality of artificial cultivation of Atractylodes chinensis. However, little is known about the compositional differences in the volatile substances derived from the wild and cultivated varieties of Atractylodes chinensis. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the specific components of Atractylodes chinensis and analyse the similarities and differences between the volatile components and metabolic pathways in the wild and cultivated varieties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Metabolomic analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed following the extraction of volatile components from Atractylodes chinensis using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME). RESULTS: A total of 167 volatile metabolites were extracted, and 137 substances were matched with NIST and Wiley databases. Among them, 76 compounds exhibited significant differences between the two sources; these mainly included terpenes, aromatics, and esters. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the differential metabolites were primarily involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, terpene biosynthesis, and limonene and pinene degradation; all these pathways have geranyl diphosphate (GDP) as the common link. CONCLUSION: The total content of volatile substances extracted from wild Atractylodes chinensis was 2.5 times higher than that from the cultured variety; however, each source had different dominant metabolites. This study underscores the necessity for protecting wild Atractylodes chinensis resources, while enhancing the quality of cultivated Atractylodes chinensis.

New insights into the persistent effect of transient cinnamaldehyde vapor treatment on the growth and aflatoxin synthesis of Aspergillus flavus.

The antimicrobial effects of continuous treatment with essential oils (EOs) in both liquid and gaseous phases have been intensively studied. Due to their rapid volatility, the effects of EOs on microorganisms after transient treatment are also worth exploring. In this work, the persistent effects of cinnamaldehyde (CA) vapor on Aspergillus flavus were detected by a series of biochemical analyses. Transcriptome analysis was also conducted to study the gene expression changes between recovered and normal A. flavus. When CA vapor was removed, biochemical analyses showed that the oxidative stress induced by the antimicrobial atmosphere was alleviated, and almost all the damaged functions were restored apart from mitochondrial function. Remarkably, the suppressed aflatoxin production intensified, which was confirmed by the up-regulation of most genes in the aflatoxin synthetic gene cluster, the velvet-related gene FluG and the aflatoxin precursor acetyl-CoA. Transcriptomic analysis also demonstrated significant changes in secondary metabolism, energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and amino acid metabolism in the recovery group. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the response of A. flavus to CA vapor treatment and will guide the rational application of EOs.

An integrated approach to uncover quality markers of stir-baking Semen Cuscuta with salt solution preventing recurrent spontaneous abortion based on chemical and metabolomic profiling.

The previous research of clinical big data mining showed that stir-baking Semen Cuscuta with salt solution (YP) ranked the first in the usage rate of treating abortion caused by kidney deficiency. At the same time, pharmacodynamic studies also showed that YP has better effect on improving recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) compared to raw products of Semen Cuscuta (SP). However, there were few studies on the biomarkers of YP improving RSA. In this study, the chemical and metabonomic profiling were used to screen the quality markers of YP on improving RSA. Firstly, a metabolomics study was carried out to select representative biomarkers of RSA. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) technique was used to investigate the components of exogenous and endogenous in serum of rats after administrated with YP and SP. As a result, 14 differential compounds were identified between the serum of rats administrated SP and YP. Compared to SP, there was an upward trend in YP of the compounds including kaempferol-3-glucuronide, iso-kaempferol-3-glucuronide, (1S) -11-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid and 3-phenylpropionic acid. Meanwhile, there was a reducing trend in YP of the compounds including kaempferol 3-arabinofuranoside, apigenin-3-O-glucoside, hyperoside, caffeic acid-ß-D glucoside, dicaffeoylquinic acid, linoleic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid, palmitic acid and methyl myristate. 12 biomarkers for RSA indication were identified. SP and YP have a certain effect on the endogenous biomarker. The regulation effect of YP was higher than that of SP. The main metabolic pathways included phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, sphingolipid metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. This study demonstrated a promising way to elucidate the active chemical and endogenous material basis of TCM.

Systemic Rosai-Dorfman disease with central nervous system involvement.

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare idiopathic and lymphoproliferative disorder. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is infrequent and typically manifests as an isolated lesion. In this article, we describe an unusual case of RDD with multiple lesions in the CNS, upper respiratory tract and lymph nodes. A literature review revealed 45 cases (including the one described herein) of systemic RDD with CNS involvement documented to date. Among these cases, 29 (64.4%) presented with intracranial lesions, 10 (22.2%) with spinal lesions and 6 (13.3%) with both. While the condition of most patients was stable, only four died from RDD or for other reasons. Prognosis is good for most patients, even those with extensive lesions. Although there are various treatments for RDD, surgery is preferred. Given the rarity of RDD, multicenter international collaborations are advocated in order to study disease pathogenesis and develop effective treatment strategies.

Shen-Cao granules formulated based on traditional Chinese medicine alleviates bone marrow suppression caused by platinum-based anticancer reagents.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of Shen-Cao granules for the prevention of thrombocytopenia caused by anticancer chemotherapy. METHODS: In this prospective study, a total of 200 patients with various malignant tumors were enrolled and evenly divided into a Shen-Cao granule treatment (n = 100) and a control group (n = 100). After 2 cycles chemotherapy with any combination of platinum-based drugs (cisplatin, carboplatin, and nedaplatin), the blood platelet (PLT) counts, levels of the PLT production regulator thrombopoietin (TPO), PLT aggregation rates, and the PLT activation marker CD62P expressions were monitored for 2 weeks. RESULTS: During 2 weeks of post-chemotherapy, the mean values of the minimum PLT count were 49.65 ±â€Š7.35 × 10/L in the treatment group and 31.56 ±â€Š9.32 × 10/L in the control group. The PLT count in the treatment group reached the lowest value 1.8 days later and recovered to a concentration ≥100 × 10/L 3 days earlier than in the control group. The concentrations of the TPO were 71.43 ±â€Š1.74 and 87.24 ±â€Š0.92 ng/mL in the treatment group and 65.75 ±â€Š1.39 and 67.75 ±â€Š0.67 ng/mL in the control group at 7 and 14 days post-chemotherapy, respectively. The maximum PLT aggregation rate declined after chemotherapy in the treatment group from 58.14 ±â€Š11.46% to 52.89 ±â€Š10.52%, while it increased in the control group from 56.94 ±â€Š10.55% to 61.75 ±â€Š12.26%. Coordinately, the expression of CD62P in the treatment group decreased from 6.17 ±â€Š0.59% to 4.89 ±â€Š0.72%, while it increased from 6.09 ±â€Š0.75% to 7.75 ±â€Š0.67% in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that Shen-Cao granule treatment alleviated thrombocytopenia after chemotherapy, and reduced tumor-induced PLT activation and aggregation.

Vitamin B supplementation, homocysteine levels, and the risk of cerebrovascular disease: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a meta-analysis on the effect of lowering homocysteine levels via B vitamin supplementation on cerebrovascular disease risk. METHODS: Using clinical trials published before August 2012 to assess stroke events, we used relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to measure the association between B vitamin supplementation and endpoint events using a fixed-effects model and χ(2) tests. We included 14 randomized controlled trials with 54,913 participants in this analysis. RESULTS: We observed a reduction in overall stroke events resulting from reduction in homocysteine levels following B vitamin supplementation (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.86-1.00; p = 0.04) but not in subgroups divided according to primary or secondary prevention measures, ischemic vs hemorrhagic stroke, or occurrence of fatal stroke. There were beneficial effects in reducing stroke events in subgroups with ≥3 years follow-up time, and without background of cereal folate fortification or chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some trials that included CKD patients reported decreased glomerular filtration rate with B vitamin supplementation. We conducted detailed subgroup analyses for cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) but did not find a significant benefit regarding intervention dose of vitamin B12 or baseline blood B12 concentration. Stratified analysis for blood pressure and baseline participant medication use showed benefits with >130 mm Hg systolic blood pressure and lower antiplatelet drug use in reducing stroke risk. CONCLUSIONS: B vitamin supplementation for homocysteine reduction significantly reduced stroke events, especially in subjects with certain characteristics who received appropriate intervention measures.

Caspase-3 activation in the guinea pig cochlea exposed to salicylate.

In the current study, we explored whether chronic salicylate exposure could induce apoptosis in outer hair cells (OHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) of the cochlea. Guinea pig received sodium salicylate (400 mg/kg/d) or saline vehicle for 10 consecutive days. Programmed cell death (PCD) executioner was evaluated with immunohistochemistry detection of activated caspase-3. Apoptosis was examined with a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. Repeated salicylate administration activated caspase-3 and caused apoptosis in OHCs and SGNs (p<0.01 vs. saline control for both measures and in both cell types). Cell counting showed a significant loss in OHCs (p<0.01 vs. saline control), but not in inner hair cells (IHCs). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed chromatin condensation and nucleus margination in salicylate-treated cochlea. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated stereociliary bundles breakdown and fusion at the apical of OHCs, villous matter was discovered to attach on the surface of SGNs. These findings suggest that long-term administration of high-dose salicylate can activate caspase-3 pathway to induce OHC and SGN apoptosis.

Meta-analysis of traditional Chinese patent medicine for ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A large number of traditional Chinese patent medicine (TCPM) are widely used for ischemic stroke in China. The aim of this study was to systematically review the existing clinical evidence on TCPM for ischemic stroke. METHODS: We identified all TCPM that were listed in the Chinese National Essential Drug list of 2004 and those commonly used TCPM in current clinical practice for ischemic stroke. Fifty-nine TCPM were identified for further evaluation. We applied Cochrane systematic review methods. We searched for reports of randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials on any of the 59 TCPM for ischemic stroke comparing one TCPM with control. PRIMARY OUTCOMES included death or dependency at the end of follow-up (at least 3 months) and adverse events. Effects on neurological impairments were a secondary outcome. RESULTS: One-hundred ninety-one trials (19,338 patients) on 22 TCPM were available and included, of which 120 were definite or possible randomized controlled trials and 71 were controlled clinical trials. The methodological quality of included trials was generally "poor." Few trials reported methods of randomization. Three trials were randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: one trial on Puerarin and one trial on Shenmai injection assessed death or dependency at the end of long-term follow-up (at least 3 months) and found no statistically significant difference between 2 groups. The reported adverse events including allergic reaction, headache, nausea, diarrhea, bellyache, blood pressure change, and subcutaneous ecchymosis. Most of the adverse events were not severe. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: analysis of the secondary outcome, "marked improvement in neurological deficit," showed apparent benefits of about the same magnitude for all the TCPM studied. Of the 22 TCPM, 8 drugs (Milk vetch, Mailuoning, Ginkgo biloba, Ligustrazine, Danshen agents, Xuesetong, Puerarin, and Acanthopanax) had relatively more studies and patient numbers. CONCLUSIONS: There was insufficient good quality evidence on the effects of TCPM in ischemic stroke on the primary outcome (death or dependency). We considered the apparent benefit on neurological impairment was as likely to be attributable to bias from poor methodology as to a real treatment effect. However, because the agents assessed appeared potentially beneficial and nontoxic, further randomized controlled trials are justified. Eight drugs could be further research priorities.

[Breast cancer pathogenesis of stagnation of phlegm, poison and blood stasis: rationale and clinical application in traditional Chinese medicine].

Breast cancer is called "Ruyan" in literature of traditional Chinese medicine. We synthesized the ancient and contemporary discussions and raised the theory that "Duxie" (poisonous pathogenic factor) is the etiological factor and pathologic product through the whole course of breast cancer. "Liuyin Fudu" (latent poison of six exogenous pathogenic factors) and "Qiqing Yudu" (stagnant poison of seven emotions) are the main etiological factors affecting the breast cancer occurrence. "Aidu Neisheng" (internal product of cancer poison) is the essential change in breast cancer occurrence. "Tandu Yujie" (stagnation of phlegm, poison and blood stasis) is the essential pathogenesis of the breast cancer's development. "Yudu Weiqing" (vestigial poison) is the main pathogenesis of breast cancer after operation. "Yudu Pangcuan" (vestigial poison invasion elsewhere) is the key pathogenesis of recurrence and metastasis after operation. "Sanjie Jiedu" (dispersing accumulation and detoxification) is an important therapeutic principle in breast cancer's treatment after operation. The "Tandu Yujie" pathogenesis theory and "Sanjie Jiedu" therapeutic principle developed the theory about breast cancer in traditional Chinese medicine, and have some clinical application value.

[Clinical observation of Ruyiping in preventing recidivation and metastasis of breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Ruyiping, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine composed of 5 Chinese herbs for removing toxic materials and dissipating nodules from Runing II, another traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine for treating breast cancer, in preventing recidivation and metastasis in breast cancer patients after operation. METHODS: Eighty patients with breast cancer after operation were randomly divided into Ruyiping group and Runing II group, and prescribed Ruyiping and Runing II on the basis of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy respectively for two years. RESULTS: There were two patients with metastasis and three patients lost to follow-up in Ruyiping group and three and two in Runing II group. The recidivation and metastasis rates were 5.41% and 7.89% respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The difference of disease-free survival time between the two groups was also not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of Ruyiping in preventing recidivation and metastasis is similar to that of Runing II. Ruyiping is the essential component of Runing II for preventing recidivation and metastasis. The result provides some clinical evidences for the theory that "Yudu Pangcuan" (vestigial poison invasion elsewhere) is the essential pathogenesis of breast cancer's recidivation and metastasis and the utilization of "Sanjie Jiedu" (dispersing accumulation and detoxification) is the therapeutic principle in preventing recidivation and metastasis after operation.

[Effects of sodium salicylate on the expressions of gamma-aminobutyricacid and glutamate and auditory response properties of the inferior colliculus neurons].

The effects of sodium salicylate (NaSA) on the expressions of gamma-aminobutyricacid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu), and auditory response properties of the inferior colliculus neurons in mice were studied. Thirty-six Kunming mice were divided into three groups: control group (saline injection); NaSA group (NaSA 450 mg/kg, i.p., each day for 15 d); NaSA + lidocaine group (NaSA 450 mg/kg + lidocaine 10 mg/kg, i.p., each day for 15 d). The expressions of GABA and Glu were examined with immunohistochemical method. The intensity-rate function, intensity-latency function and frequency-tuning curve were determined with extracellular electrophysiological recording. Results are as follows: (1) The expression of GABA in the NaSA and NaSA + lidocaine groups decreased remarkably compared with that in the control group; there was no noticeable difference between the NaSA and NaSA + lidocaine groups. The expression of Glu in the NaSA group increased significantly compared with that in the control and NaSA + lidocaine groups. No difference in the expression of Glu was found between the control and NaSA + lidocaine groups. (2) In NaSA group, the intensity-rate function displayed a non-monotonic pattern, rising at low intensity and descending at high intensity; the tip of frequency-tuning curves became broad after administration of NaSA. (3) The changes in intensity-rate function and intensity-latency function were not evident and the tips of the frequency-tuning curves sharpened in the NaSA + lidocaine group. These results suggest that administration of NaSA increases the expression of Glu-positive neurons and reduces that of GABA-positive neurons in the inferior colliculus. NaSA changes the auditory response properties of the inferior colliculus and lidocaine can reverse these changes.