Zhisou powder suppresses airway inflammation in LPS and CS-induced post-infectious cough model mice via TRPA1/TRPV1 channels.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Zhisou Powder (ZSP), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has been widely used in the clinic for the treatment of post-infectious cough (PIC). However, the exact mechanism is not clear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of ZSP on PIC in mice. The possible mechanisms of action were screened based on network pharmacology, and the potential mechanisms were explored through molecular docking and in vivo experimental validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (80µg/50 µL) was used to induce PIC in mice, followed by daily exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) for 30 min for 30 d to establish PIC model. The effects of ZSP on PIC mice were observed by detecting the number of coughs and cough latency, peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) inflammatory cell counts, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and histological analysis. The core targets and key pathways of ZSP on PIC were analyzed using network pharmacology, and TRPA1 and TRPV1 were validated using RT-qPCR and western blotting assays. RESULTS: ZSP effectively reduced the number of coughs and prolonged the cough latency in PIC mice. Airway inflammation was alleviated by reducing the expression levels of the inflammatory mediators TNF-α and IL-1ß. ZSP modulated the expression of Substance P, Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and nerve growth factor (NGF) in BALF. Based on the results of network pharmacology, the mechanism of action of ZSP may exert anti-neurogenic airway-derived inflammation by regulating the expression of TRPA1 and TRPV1 through the natural active ingredients α-spinastero, shionone and didehydrotuberostemonine. CONCLUSION: ZSP exerts anti-airway inflammatory effects through inhibition of TRPA1/TRPV1 channels regulating neuropeptides to alleviate cough hypersensitivity and has a favorable therapeutic effect on PIC model mice. It provides theoretical evidence for the clinical application of ZSP.

The Influence of Soil Erodibility and Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity on Soil Nutrients in the Pingshuo Opencast Coalmine, China.

Soil erodibility (K factor) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) are essential indicators for the estimation of erosion intensity and can potentially influence soil nutrient losses, making them essential parameters for the evaluation of land reclamation quality. In this study, 132 soil samples from 22 soil profiles were collected to measure soil physicochemical properties (e.g., particle size distribution, bulk density and soil nutrient content) and calculate the K factor and Ks of reclaimed soils across the South Dump of the Pingshuo opencast coalmine in the Loess Plateau, China. Geostatistical analysis and the kriging interpolation were employed to quantify the spatial variations in the K factor and Ks in different layers. The results show that the K factor at 0−10 cm is obviously lower than that of other soil layers due to the external input of organic matter, while the Ks tends to decrease along with soil depth. Horizontally, the K factor at 0−10 cm and 50−60 cm shows a decreasing tendency from west to east, while that of other soil layers seems not to show any spatial distribution pattern along latitude or longitude. Meanwhile, the Ks at 0−10 cm presents a striped distribution pattern, while that of other soil layers shows a patchy pattern. On the other hand, the independent-sample t-test and Spearman's correlation analysis were carried out to determine the effects of soil erodibility on total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), available phosphorus (AP) and potassium (AK). Overall, the K factor is negatively correlated with TN (r = −0.362, p < 0.01) and SOM contents (r = −0.380, p < 0.01), while AP and AK contents are mainly controlled by Ks. This study provides insight on the optimization of reclamation measures and the conservation of soil nutrients in reclaimed land of similar ecosystems.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in treating glomerulosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The combination of Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine (TCM+WM) has been widely used in the treatment of glomerulosclerosis, but the results are still controversial. This study will assess the clinical efficacy of TCM+WM for glomerulosclerosis and provide evidence-based medical data via meta-analysis. METHOD: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, and multiple Chinese databases (Wan Fang, CNKI, and VIP) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) that compared the effects of WM and TCM+WM. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis of selected studies, and appropriate tests were performed to determine the quality, heterogeneity and sensitivity of these studies. RESULTS: Sixteen RCTs met the inclusion criteria and were selected for the analysis. Compared with the placebo or WM-treated glomerulosclerosis patients, TCM+WM intervention significantly improved renal function indices including 24-hour urine protein quantity (24 h U-Pro), serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine clearance (Ccr). In addition, the serum albumin (ALB), triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol (CHOL) levels were also significantly improved (P < .05) in patients receiving the combination therapy. Finally, the combination of TCM+WM reduced the indices of glomerulosclerosis more effectively compared with WM alone. CONCLUSION: The combination of TCM+WM can significantly improve the renal function and prognosis of patients with glomerulosclerosis.

[Effects of guipi pill on bone marrow cell cycle of mice exposed to benzene].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Guipi Pill (GPP) on bone marrow cell cycle of mice exposed to benzene and to explore its possible mechanisms for regulating hematopoiesis. METHODS: Seventy-two Kunming mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the Western medicine treatment group, the large, middle, and small dose GPP groups, 12 in each group. The mice were exposed to manually simulated high concentrations of benzene fqr eight h every day, fourteen successive days, to replicate benzene intoxication model. Mice in the large, middle, and small dose GPP groups were administered with 8, 4, 2 mg/kg GPP per day respectively by gastrogavage. Mice in the Western medicine treatment group were administered with leucogen (at the daily dose of 1.5 mg/kg) and batyl alcohol (at the daily dose of 5 mg/kg) by gastrogavage. Mice in the model group and the normal control group were administered with normal saline by gastrogavage, once daily, for 3 successive weeks. The nucleated bone marrow cell count and the cell cycle of bone marrow cells were detected using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the nucleated bone marrow cell count obviously decreased in the model group (P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the nucleated bone marrow cell count obviously increased in the large and small dose GPP groups, and the Western medicine treatment group (P <0.01). Compared with the normal control group, the S phase cell ratio and proliferation index (PI) increased, and the G0/G1 phase cell ratio decreased in the model group, showing statistical difference (P <0.05). The G0/G1 phase cell ratio decreased, while the G2/M phase cell ratio and PI increased in the large dose GPP group. The S phase cell ratio decreased in the middle dose GPP group, showing statistical difference when compared with the model group (P <0.01, P <0.05). Compared with the Western medicine treatment group, the G2/M phase cell ratio and PI increased, and the G0/G1 phase cell ratio decreased in the large dose GPP group, showing statistical difference (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: GPP could promote the recovery of hematopoietic functions of benzene exposed mice by ending off G1 or G2-phase arrest, accelerating G0/G1-S phase and S-G2/M phase transition, promoting the proliferation of bone marrow hematopoietic cells, and improving the peripheral hemogram.