[Effect of BBM gene on callus growth and ginsenoside content in Panax quinquefolius].

Baby Boom(BBM) gene is a key regulatory factor in embryonic development and regeneration, cell proliferation, callus growth, and differentiation promotion. Since the genetic transformation system of Panax quinquefolius is unstable with low efficiency and long period, this study attempted to transfer BBM gene of Zea mays to P. quinquefolius callus by gene gunship to investigate its effect on the callus growth and ginsenoside content, laying a foundation for establishing efficient genetic transformation system of P. quinquefolius. Four transgenic callus of P. quinquefolius with different transformation events were obtained by screening for glufosinate ammonium resistance and molecular identification by PCR. The growth state and growth rate of wild-type and transgenic callus were compared in the same growth period. The content of ginsenoside in transgenic callus was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that transgenic callus growth rate was significantly higher than that of wild-type callus. In addition, the content of ginsenoside Rb_1, Rg_1, Ro, and Re was significantly higher than that in wild-type callus. The paper preliminarily proved the function of BBM gene in promoting growth rate and increasing ginsenoside content, which provided a scientific basis to establish a stable and efficient genetic transformation system for Panax plants in the future.

Uncovering the mechanism of Radix Paeoniae Alba in the treatment of restless legs syndrome based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological motor disorder with a high prevalence. The treatment efficacy of RLS is unsatisfactory. Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) can effectively treat RLS symptoms such as the discomfort of the legs. RPA has great potential for the development of new medications for RLS. Hence, we explored the mechanism of RPA in the treatment of RLS using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The active components and targets of RPA were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology database and analysis platform and PharmMapper platform. The RLS-related targets were found in GeneCards, OMIM, DrugBank, and DisGeNET databases. The overlapping targets of RPA and RLS were then collected. The "active components-overlapping targets" network was built, and network topology analysis was performed. Furthermore, Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used to screen the key components of RPA in the treatment of RLS. Protein-protein interaction was performed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes. The gene ontology functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathways were analyzed using ClusterProfiler, PathView, and other R packages to reveal the main mechanism of RPA in treating RLS. Component and protein structures were downloaded from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology and Protein Data Bank databases, respectively. The AutoDock 4.2.6 software was used for molecular docking. A total of 12 active components and 109 targets of RPA, as well as 2387 RLS-related targets, were collected. Following that, 47 overlapping targets were obtained. Furthermore, 5 key components and 12 core targets were screened. The results of gene ontology functions were as follows: 2368 biological processes, 264 molecular functions, and 164 cellular components. A total of 207 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathways were obtained, including the lipid and atherosclerosis pathway, the endocrine resistance pathway, the prolactin signaling pathway, and the IL-17 signaling pathway. The components and the core targets completed molecular docking stably. RPA has multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics in treating RLS, which could provide a basis for future research and improve clinical efficacy.

Alleviation of Synovial Inflammation of Juanbi-Tang on Collagen-Induced Arthritis and TNF-Tg Mice Model.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is primarily characterized by synovial inflammation. In this study, we found that a traditional Chinese decoction, Juanbi-Tang (JBT), JBT attenuated the symptoms of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice and in tumor necrosis factor transgenic (TNF-Tg) mice by attenuating the arthritis index and hind paw thickness. According to histopathological staining of ankle sections, JBT significantly decreased the area of inflammation and reduced bone destruction of ankle joints in both these two types of mice. Moreover, decreased tartaric acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts were observed in the JBT group compared with those found in the control group. We also revealed that JBT suppressed monocytes and T cells as well as the production of CCL2, CCR6, and CXCR3 ligands. We next used high-performance liquid chromatography to investigate the components and pharmacological properties of this classical herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. Based on network pharmacology, we performed computational prediction simulation of the potential targets of JBT, which indicated the NF-kappa B pathway as its target, which was confirmed in vitro. JBT suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8, and inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 in fibroblast-like synoviocytes derived from RA patients (MH7A cells). Furthermore, JBT also suppressed the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, and p65 in TNF-α-treated MH7A cells. In summary, this study proved that JBT could inhibit synovial inflammation and bone destruction, possibly by blocking the phosphorylation of NF-kappa B pathway-mediated production of proinflammatory effectors.

Non-herbal tea consumption and ovarian cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational epidemiologic studies with indirect comparison and dose-response analysis.

Ovarian cancer (OC) accounts for 4% of female malignancies worldwide, and its prognosis is unfavorable. Currently available epidemiologic data suggest that non-herbal tea consumption may reduce OC risk, but these evidences are inconsistent. A comprehensive literature search for observational epidemiologic studies reporting associations between non-herbal tea consumption and OC risk was conducted in electronic databases. A random-effects model was used to synthesize effect measures in binary meta-analysis, and adjusted indirect comparison was used to compare whether there was a difference in effects between green tea (GT) and black tea (BT). Both linear and non-linear models were used to explore the dose-response relationship. Fourteen studies were included, and we obtained an inverse and significant pooled estimate in binary meta-analysis [risk ratio (RR)pool = 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-0.95, PCochran < 0.001, I2 = 81.5%]. No publication bias was identified in binary meta-analysis. In binary meta-analysis stratified by tea types, we observed a significant association for GT (RRpool = 0.64, 95% CI 0.45-0.90, PCochran = 0.071, I2 = 53.6%), but not BT (RRpool = 0.85, 95% CI 0.65-1.12, PCochran = 0.007, I2 = 65.9%). Indirect comparison, which treated BT as the reference, showed an inverse but non-significant association (RRGT versus BT = 0.74, 95% CI 0.48-1.15). Both linear and non-linear models found that OC risk decreased as the consumption levels of total non-herbal tea increased. However, the dose-response relationship was stronger for GT when compared with BT. Our results suggest that non-herbal tea, especially GT, is associated with a reduced risk of OC. Future studies should explore biochemical evidence regarding the variation in chemopreventive effects between different types of non-herbal tea.

Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng-Tang Attenuates Inflammation of TNF-Tg Mice Related to Promoting Lymphatic Drainage Function.

To investigate whether Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng-Tang (DHJST) attenuate inflammation of RA related to lymphatic drainage function in vivo, we treated eight 3-month-old TNF-Tg mice with DHJST (12 g/kg) or the same volume of physiological saline once every day for 12 weeks, and 3-month-old WT littermates were used as negative control. After twelve weeks, we performed NIR-ICG imaging and found that DHJST increased the ICG clearance at the footpad and the pulse of efferent lymphatic vessel between popliteal lymph node and footpad. Histology staining at ankle joints showed that DHJST decreases synovial inflammation, bone erosion, cartilage erosion, and TRAP+ osteoclast area in TNF-Tg mice. Immunohistochemical staining by using anti-Lyve-1 and anti-podoplanin antibody showed that DHJST stimulated lymphangiogenesis in ankle joints of TNF-Tg mice. And zebrafish study suggested that DHJST promoted the formation of lymphatic thoracic duct. In conclusion, DHJST inhibits inflammation severity and promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic drainage function of TNF-Tg mice.

Manual Therapy for Hip Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) is one of the major causes of disability in seniors and is costly to society. Manual therapy is one therapeutic approach to treating HOA. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of manual therapy compared to the placebo or wait-list/no treatment or a minimal intervention control for HOA at post-treatment and short-, intermediate- and long-term follow-ups. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). SETTING: Hospital outpatient clinic in China. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ISI web of knowledge, and Chinese databases from the inception to October 2014 without language restrictions. References of systematic reviews and other related reviews, files in our department, and conference proceedings as grey literature were also screened by hand. RCTs compared manual therapy to the placebo, wait-list/no treatment or a minimal intervention control with an appropriate and precise description of randomization. Two reviewers independently conducted the search results identification, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. We calculated the risk difference (RD) for dichotomous data and the mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) for continuous data in a fixed or random effect model. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were self-reported pain in the past week and physical function. The secondary outcomes were the quality of life, global perceived effect, patients' satisfaction, cost, and adverse events. RESULTS: Six studies involving 515 HOA patients were included. Five of the 6 studies ranked as high quality in the methodological assessment. Immediately post-treatment, there was low-quality evidence that manual therapy could not statistically significantly relieve pain (SMD: -0.07 [95%CI -0.38 to 0.24]); for physical function, a moderate quality of evidence showed that manual therapy could not improve the physical function significantly (SMD: 0.14 [95%CI -0.08 to 0.37]). We still found low-quality evidence that manual therapy did not benefit the patients in the global perceived effect (RD: 0.12 [95%CI -0.12 to 0.36]), and in terms of quality of life. In addition, the risks of patients in the manual therapy group was 0.13 times higher than that in the controls (RD: 0.13 [95%CI -0.05 to 0.31]) in the low-quality evidence studies. We could not find any evidence that manual therapy benefits the patients at short-, intermediate- or long-term follow-up. There were no studies reporting patients' satisfaction or cost. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of this systematic review include the paucity of literature and inevitable heterogeneity between included studies. CONCLUSION: This review did not suggest there was enough evidence for manual therapy for the management of HOA. However, we are not confident in making such a conclusion due to the limitations listed above.

[Effect of Qianjin Fubao on changes of behavior and estradiol level in chronic stress model rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Qianjin Fubao (QJFB) on behavior and estradiol level in femal chronic stress model rats. METHOD: Twenty four female Wistar rats (2 month old) were evenly randomized into normal control, animal model and QJFB (0.7 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) group. The QIFB group and the stress group were exposed to a chronic unpredictable stress for 21 days. Rats of the QJFB group received perfusion of Qianjin Fubao, and rats of stress and control group were perfused with normal saline. The behavior of three groups were determined with the method of Open-field before and after right stress respectively. Serum level of estradiol was detected with radioim munoassay. RESULT: The behavioral score and the serum level of estradiol of the stressed group were significantly lower than those of the control group after stress (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences of behavioral score and the serum level of estradiol between QJFB group and control group. CONCLUSION: The chronic unpredictable stress can induce the stressful change of behavior, and QJFB may recover the rats'abnormal behavior and improve the serum level of estradiol. QJFB may have protective effect on stress.