[Anti-inflammatory mechanism of Balanophora involucrata: a network pharmacology and molecular docking-based analysis and verification in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the main chemical constituents of Balanophora involucrata and the mechanism of its antiinflammatory effect based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. METHODS: Literature reports, Materia Medica, GeneCards and other databases were searched for anti-inflammatory compounds and their targets. String database and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software were used to obtain the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the drug-active ingredienttargets network and for GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Molecular docking was performed using Auto Dock Tools 1.5.6. In an inflammatory RAW264.7 cell model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the effect of 25, 50, 100, 200 µg/mL Balanophora involucrata extract was tested on the production of inflammatory cytokines and phosphorylation level of PI3K and Akt using ELISA and Western blotting. RESULTS: A total of 318 common targets of drugs and diseases were identified, and the core targets were Src, HSP90AA1 and PIK3CA, involving cancer, PI3K/Akt, MAPK and other signaling pathways as shown by KEGG analysis. Molecular docking showed that both the main active constituents of Balanophora involucrata could spontaneously bind to the core targets. In the inflammatory cell model, treatment with Balanophora involucrata extract significantly inhibited the production of IL-1ß at the concentrations of 100 and 200 µg/mL, reduced IL-6 and TNF-α expressions at the concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL, and lowered phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins at the concentrations of 25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The anti-inflammatory mechanism of Balanophora involucrata involves multiple targets and multiple pathways, and its effect is mediated possibly by reducing IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α production and inhibiting phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins to suppress the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Breastfeeding in women with diabetes: lower rates despite greater rewards. A population-based study.

AIMS: To explore intention to breastfeed and breastfeeding rates in hospital and on discharge across women with pre-gestational or gestational diabetes mellitus, or no diabetes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using data from four Ontario hospitals. Women who delivered a viable infant between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2010 were included in the study. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated for each outcome measure and were used to compare the breastfeeding rates among women with and without diabetes. RESULTS: After controlling for potential confounders, women with insulin-treated diabetes were less likely to intend to breastfeed, when compared with women without diabetes (adjusted odds ratio 0.49, 95% CI 0.27-0.89). In hospital, women with insulin-treated diabetes were least likely to breastfeed (odds ratio 0.42, 95% CI 0.26-0.67), followed by women with non-insulin-treated diabetes (odds ratio 0.50, 95% CI 0.26-0.96) and women with gestational diabetes (odds ratio 0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.87) when compared with women without diabetes. On discharge, women with insulin-treated diabetes were least likely to breastfeed (odds ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.24-0.60), followed by women with gestational diabetes (odds ratio 0.75, 95% CI 0.66-0.85); rates of breastfeeding among women with non-insulin-treated diabetes were comparable on discharge with those of women without diabetes. Women seeking care from an antenatal provider other than a physician were 2-3 times more likely to breastfeed in hospital and on discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Women with insulin-treated diabetes had the poorest outcomes with respect to breastfeeding rates. Gestational and non-insulin-treated diabetes were associated with lower rates of breastfeeding in hospital, while gestational diabetes was additionally associated with lower breastfeeding rates on discharge.

Effects of dl-praeruptorin A on cultured neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes with hypertrophy induced by endothelin-1.

The present study investigated whether dl-praeruptorin (Pd-Ia) prevents endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the potential pathways that underlie such an effect. We assessed cardiomyocyte surface area, protein synthesis, the expression of Bax/Bcl2 and Jun genes, the expression of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMK-II) activity in cultured neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes with ET-1-induced hypertrophy. It was found that Pd-Ia decreased the surface area and protein synthesis rate in cardiomyocytes exposed to ET-1. Additionally, the expression of Bcl2 and Bax was increased in both the ET-1-exposed and Pd-Ia+ET- 1-treated groups compared with the control group, although this was not significant. In cardiomyocytes incubated with ET-1, the expression of ANF (Nppa) significantly increased relative to the control and Pd-Ia groups. The expression of Jun significantly increased in cardiomyocytes incubated with ET-1, but not in the Pd-Ia group, where Jun levels were similar to those found for the control group. Moreover, it was found that Pd-Ia inhibited the ET-1-induced increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. The results showed that Pd-Ia could conceivably be an effective therapeutic drug for treating the contractile defects associated with cardiac hypertrophy and failure. This activity may be associated with its Ca2+-antagonist effect and modulation of the expression of immediate-early genes that play important roles in the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway.

[Determination of cineole in banxiaxiexintang decoction different combinations of by GC].

OBJECTIVE: To the amount of 1,8-cineole in Banxiaxiexintang Decoction different combinations were determined by GC. METHOD: An OV-101 column (30 m x 0.32 mm) was used at 90 degrees C. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The amount of cineole was 2-3 times in each combination than that in the separate Rhizoma Zingiberis.

[Clinical observation of wenxin decoction in treating 82 patients with spontaneous angina pectoris].

One hundred twenty-two patients with spontaneous angina pectoris (SAP) were randomly divided into treated group (82 cases) and control group (40 cases), and treated with Wenxin decoction and isosorbide dinitrate respectively. Results showed that in treated group the total effective rate of SAP was 95.12% and that of electrocardiographic findings were 74.39%. These results were all superior to those of control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, results of extracorporeal thrombosis test showed after Wenxin decoction treatment, the length of thrombus decreased from 23.56 +/- 5.47 mm to 20.04 +/- 5.17 mm, the wet weight of it decreased from 92.65 +/- 18.45 mg to 76.94 +/- 15.08 mg and the dry weight from 21.76 +/- 7.30 mg to 16.90 +/- 5.35 mg. The submaximal exercise test revealed an increase of exercise time from 474.66 +/- 96.33 seconds to 548.83 +/- 99.93 seconds, increase of acting quantity from 104.16 +/- 19.65 W to 123.61 +/- 24.96 W and a decrease of ST segment depression from 0.183 +/- 0.041 mV to 0.139 +/- 0.038 mV. These results suggested that Wenxin decoction is valuable in treating SAP.