Shade responses and resistant mechanisms in Spatholobus suberectus.

The medicinal plant Spatholobus suberectus Dunn is easily exposed to shade stress during growth, but its shade responses and shade stress resistant mechanisms have not been clarified. In this study, shade treatments including four attenuated sunlight intensities (100%, 60%, 40%, and 10%) and three shade durations (30 d, 45 d, and 60 d) were applied to S. suberectus. The shade-induced morphological indicators, phytohormonal regulations, metabolic flavonoids contents, transcriptomic flavonoid pathway gene expressions, and stress physiological changes of S. suberectus were analyzed. The putative promoter cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of 18 flavonoid biosynthetic pathway genes were identified. Results showed the stem growth indicators of S. suberectus were better at 40% light intensity. Phytohormones were involved in the shade-induced responses. Short-term shade (30 d) increased total flavonoids, gallated catechins and especially epigallocatechin gallate contents and favored for boosting medicinal value. Long-term shade (45 d, 60 d) tended to decrease flavonoids. The shade-induced flavonoids changes were attributed to their corresponding biosynthesizing genes expression variations. The high antioxidant capacity and the presence of phytohormone-, stress-, and development-related CREs provided the basis for stress resistance. In conclusion, the multiple responses under shade and the CREs analysis elucidated S. suberectus' shade tolerance.

Integrating LC-MS and HS-GC-MS for the metabolite characterization of the Chinese medicinal plant Platostoma palustre under different processing methods.

Platostoma palustre (or Mesona chinensis Benth) is an important medicinal and edible plant in China and Southeast Asian countries. To study the effects of different processing methods on the quality, nutrition, and flavor of P. palustre, we adopted the LC-MS and HS-GC-MS to compare the influences of tedding (S), sweating (M), and drying (H) on the metabolites and volatile substances of P. palustre. Biochemical determinations revealed that the M treatment could promote the accumulation of the contents of total sugar, soluble sugar, and total pectin compared with the H and S treatments but decrease the total flavonoid contents. LC-MS and HS-GC-MS uncovered 98 differential metabolites and 27 differential volatile substances among the three treatments, respectively. Overall, the M treatment facilitated the stabilization and improvement of the quality of polysaccharides and volatile substances, while the H treatment could promote the level of amino acids in P. palustre. The current study provided a theoretical reference for establishing standardized processing methods and sustaining the quality stability of P. palustre in future.

Amomum tsaoko DRM1 regulate seed germination and improve heat tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Seed dormancy and germination are critical to medicinal plant reproduction. Dormancy-associated gene (DRM1) has been involved in the regulation of dormancy in Arabidopsis meristematic tissues or organs. However, research on molecular functions and regulations of DRM1 in Amomum tsaoko, an important medicinal plant, is rare. In this study, the DRM1 was isolated from embryos of A. tsaoko, and the results of protein subcellular localization in Arabidopsis protoplast indicated that DRM1 was mainly nucleus and cytoplasm. Expression analysis showed that DRM1 especially exhibited the highest transcript level in dormant seed and short-time stratification while displaying a high response of hormone and abiotic stress. Further investigation showed that ectopic expression of DRM1 in Arabidopsis exhibited delayed seed germination and germination capability to high temperatures. Additionally, DRM1 transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited increased tolerance to heat stress by enhancing antioxidative capacities and regulating stress-associated genes (AtHsp25.3-P, AtHsp18.2-CI, AtHsp70B, AtHsp101, AtGolS1, AtMBF1c, AtHsfA2, AtHsfB1 and AtHsfB2). Overall, our results reveal the role of DRM1 in seed germination and abiotic stress response.

Application value of psTg combined with lymph node ratio in prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer patients treated with 131I / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the value of pre-ablation stimulated thyroglobulin (psTg) before 131I treatment combined with lymph node ratio (LNR) in predicting 131I treatment response in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Methods:From January 2016 to December 2018, 178 PTC patients (47 males, 131 females; age (43.2±12.6) years) treated with 131I in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed. According to 131I treatment response, patients were divided into excellent response (ER) group and non-ER group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared by χ2 test, independent-sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test. The cut-off values and AUCs of psTg and LNR to predict treatment response were calculated according to the ROC curve. Factors affecting 131I treatment response were analyzed by logistic multivariate regression analysis. Results:There were 118 patients (66.3%, 118/178) in ER group and 60 patients (33.7%, 60/178) in non-ER group, and there were significant differences in N stage ( χ2=11.15, P=0.004), 131I treatment dose ( χ2=12.65, P<0.001), American Thyroid Association (ATA) initial risk stratification ( χ2=15.25, P<0.001), number of metastatic lymph nodes ( χ2=22.63, P<0.001), LNR ( U=1 506.00, P<0.001) and psTg ( U=919.00, P<0.001) between the two groups. The cut-off values of psTg and LNR predicting ER were 3.97 μg/L and 0.29, with the AUC of 0.870 and 0.787 respectively. PsTg (odds ratio ( OR)=10.88, 95% CI: 4.67-25.36, P<0.001) and LNR ( OR=5.30, 95% CI: 1.85-15.23, P=0.002) were independent factors to predict 131I treatment response in PTC patients. When psTg≥3.97 μg/L, LNR ( OR=9.40, 95% CI: 2.06-42.92, P=0.004) was an independent factor affecting 131I treatment response in PTC patients. Conclusions:PsTg and LNR are independent factors affecting 131I treatment response in PTC patients. When psTg≥3.97 μg/L, LNR can be used as a supplementary factor to predict 131I treatment response. The combination of psTg and LNR can better predict 131I treatment response in PTC patients.

Exploring the common mechanism of Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsule in the treatment of stroke and coronary heart disease through HIF1α-MMP9-mediated HIF1α signaling pathway / 药学学报

Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are the most well-known cardiovascular diseases, which share many common pathological basis. Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsule (YDXNT) is a commonly used Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of stroke and CHD. However, its action of mechanism of co-treatment for stroke and CHD is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the common mechanism of YDXNT in co-treatment of CHD and stroke using network pharmacology, experimental verification and molecular docking. An integrated literature mining and databases of IPA, ETCM, HERB, Swiss Target Prediction, OMIM and GeneCards were used to screen and predict active ingredients and potential targets of YDXNT in co-treatment of CHD and stroke. The protein-protein interaction network, GO analysis and pathway analysis were analyzed by IPA software. The effect of YDXNT on core targets was verified by immunofluorescence. UPLC-QTOF/MS and molecular docking were used to screen and predict the main active constituents of YDXNT and their interactions with core targets. A total of 151 potential targets are predicted for YDXNT in co-treatment of CHD and stroke. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α)-matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9)-mediated HIF1α signaling pathway serves as one of the common mechanisms. YDXNT could reduce the increase of mitochondrial fluorescence intensity and the protein expression of HIF1α and MMP9 in HL-1 and HA induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) in a dose-dependent manner. Baicalin may be the material basis for treating stroke and CHD with YDXNT. In conclusion, the HIF1α signaling pathway is one of the common key mechanisms of YDXNT in the co-treatment of stroke and CHD. The study provides support and basis for the in-depth scientific connotation of the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "same treatment to different diseases".

Mitochondrial genome characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the medicinal and edible plant Mesona chinensis Benth.

Mesona chinensis Benth (MCB) (or Platostoma palustre or Platostoma chinense) is an important edible and medicinal plant in China. However, the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome, or mtDNA) of MCB has not been characterized or reported yet. In this study, we first sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenome of MCB. The MCB mitogenome was 494,599 bp in length and encoded 59 genes containing 37 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 19 tRNAs, and 3 rRNAs. Gene transfer analysis revealed that a total of 12 transfer segments with more than 93% identity (total length of 25,427 bp) were detected in the MCB mitogenome. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) analysis showed that 212 simple sequence repeats (SSR) were identified. Repeat sequence analysis revealed 305 repeat sequences (158 forward and 147 palindromic repeats) ranging from 30 bp to 48,383 bp and the 30-39 bp repeats were the majority type. Relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis uncovered that in total, 9,947 codons were encoding the protein-coding genes (PCGs). Serine (909, 9.1%) and leucine (879, 8.8%) were the two most abundant amino acids, while terminator (32, .3%) was the least abundant amino acid. Ka/Ks analysis indicated that almost all genes were subject to purification selection, except ccmB. Analysis of Lamiaceae mitogenomes constitution revealed that atpB and atpE were unique to the Rotheca serrata and Salvia miltiorrhiza mitogenomes. mttB gene loss was unique to the Boea hygrometrica mitogenome. The core fragments of the Lamiaceae mitogenomes harbored a higher GC content than the specific and variable fragments. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed that MCB was closely related to Salvia miltiorrhiza based on the mitogenomes. The current study provided valuable genomic resources for understanding and utilizing this important medicinal plant in the future.

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Pathways Involved in Growth and Development of Mesona chinensis Benth Under Red- and Blue-Light Conditions.

Mesona chinensis Benth (MCB) is an important Chinese herbal medicine. The plant factories might be one of the ways to solve the shortage of MCB supply. In this study, the MCB seedlings were treated under the red (R) and blue (B) lights in the plant factory. Results showed that the red light promoted the growth and development of MCB in comparison with the blue light. Under the red-light condition, the biomass, plant height, and root characteristics were significantly higher than those under blue-light condition, while the soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) under the red-light treatment was significantly lower than that under the blue-light treatment. Red light also significantly promoted the content of soluble sugar and pectin of MCB compared with blue light. Transcriptome analysis showed that a total of 4,165 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected including 2,034 upregulated and 2,131 downregulated. Of these, 1,112 DEGs including 410 upregulated and 702 downregulated genes were associated with 111 pathways. Moreover, a total of 8,723 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) were identified in R vs. B, and these TFs were distributed in 56 gene families. Metabonomic results revealed that a total of 184 metabolites and 99 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) (42 upregulated and 57 downregulated) were identified in the red- and blue-light treatments. Integrative analysis of transcriptome and metabolome unveiled that a total of 24 pathways included 70 compounds (metabolites) and were associated with 28 unigenes. In particular, these pathways included starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, cysteine and methionine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and pentose and glucuronate interconversions. The unigenes included asparagine synthetase (AS), thymidine kinase (TK), alpha, alpha-trehalose-phosphate synthase (TPS), phosphatase IMPL1 (IMPL1), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (D4R), and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase-like 6 (4CL6), bifunctional aspartokinase-homoserine dehydrogenase 1 (thrA), and abscisic acid 8'-hydroxylase 2 isoform X1 (ABA8). It was indicated that these pathways and genes might play important roles in the growth and development of MCB. This study laid a foundation for the future research of MCB.

UV-light-driven photooxidation of harmaline catalyzed by riboflavin: Product characterization and mechanisms.

ß-Carboline alkaloid harmaline (HA) is a candidate drug molecule that has been proven to have broad and significant biological activity. Herein, the effects of HA on the riboflavin (RF)-sensitized photooxidation under aerobic conditions were studied for the first time. The photooxidation reaction of HA catalyzed by RF is triggered by UV light at 365 nm and shows a time-dependent stepwise reaction process. Seven transformed products, including five undescribed compounds, oxoharmalines A-E (1-4 and 7), and two known compounds, N-(2-(6-Methoxy-2-oxoindolin-3-yl)ethyl)acetamide (5) and harmine (6), were isolated and identified from the reaction system, following as the gradual oxidation mechanisms. The rare polymerization and dehydrogenation processes in radical-mediated photocatalytic reactions were involved in the process. The transformed products 2-7 exhibited significant neuroprotective activity in a model of H2O2-introduced injury in SH-SY5Y cells, which suggested that the products of the interaction between HA and vitamins may be beneficial to health.

[Selection of q RT-PCR reference genes for Amomum tsaoko seeds during dormancy release].

Freshly collected seeds of Amomum tsaoko demonstrate obvious dormancy. Therefore, the selection of stable reference genes during seed dormancy release is very important for the subsequent functional research of related genes. In this study, ten commonly used reference genes(GAPDH, 40S, actin, tubulin, EIF4A-9, EIF2α, UBC, UBCE2, 60S, and UBQ) were selected as candidates for quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) of the embryo samples of A. tsaoko at different dormancy release stages. Three kinds of software(BestKeeper, geNorm, and Normfinder) and the Delta CT method were used to evaluate the expression stability of the candidate reference genes, and the RefFinder online tool was employed to integrate the results and generate a comprehensive ranking. The results showed that the expression levels of the ten candidate reference genes differed greatly in different embryo samples. GAPDH and UBC had high expression levels, as manifested by the small Ct values. GeNorm identified 40S and UBCE2 as the most stable genes. NormFinder ranked EIF2α as the most stable gene and UBC as the least stable gene. UBCE2 was found to be the most stable gene and actin the least stable one by BestKeeper. Delta CT analysis suggested that the expression of 40S was most stable. UBCE2 was recommended as the most stably expressed gene by RefFinder. Thus, UBCE2 is the ideal reference gene for qRT-PCR analysis of A. tsaoko seeds at different dormancy release stages. The results may lay a foundation for analyzing the expression of related genes during seed dormancy release of A. tsaoko.

Corosolic acid and its structural analogs: A systematic review of their biological activities and underlying mechanism of action.

BACKGROUND: The corosolic acid (CA), also known as plant insulin, is a pentacyclic triterpenoid extracted from plants such as Lagerstroemia speciosa. It has been shown to have anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. Its structural analogs ursolic acid (UA), oleanolic acid (OA), maslinic acid (MA), asiatic acid (AA) and betulinic acid (BA) display similar individual pharmacological activities to those of CA. However, there is no systematic review documenting pharmacological activities of CA and its structural analogues. This study aims to fill this gap in literature. PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to summarize the medical applications of CA and its analogues. METHODS: A systematic review summarizes and compares the extraction techniques, pharmacokinetic parameters, and pharmacological effects of CA and its structural analogs. Hypoglycemic effect is one of the key inclusion criteria for searching Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases up to October 2020 without language restrictions. 'corosolic acid', 'ursolic acid', 'oleanolic acid', 'maslinic acid', 'asiatic acid', 'betulinic acid', 'extraction', 'pharmacokinetic', 'pharmacological' were used to extract relevant literature. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. RESULTS: At the end of the searching process, 140 articles were selected for the systematic review. Information of CA and five of its structural analogs including UA, OA, MA, AA and BA were included in this review. CA and its structural analogs are pentacyclic triterpenes extracted from plants and they have low solubilities in water due to their rigid scaffold and hydrophobic properties. The introduction of water-soluble groups such as sugar or amino groups could increase the solubility of CA and its structural analogs. Their biological activities and underlying mechanism of action are reviewed and compared. CONCLUSION: CA and its structural analogs UA, OA, MA, AA and BA are demonstrated to show activities in lowering blood sugar, anti-inflammation and anti-tumor. Their oral absorption and bioavailability can be improved through structural modification and formulation design. CA and its structural analogs are promising natural product-based lead compounds for further development and mechanistic studies.

Keratin-Based Nanoparticles with Tumor-Targeting and Cascade Catalytic Capabilities for the Combinational Oxidation Phototherapy of Breast Cancer.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds tantalizing prospects of a prominent cancer treatment strategy. However, its efficacy remains limited by virtue of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and the inadequate tumor-targeted delivery of photosensitizers, and these can be further exacerbated by the lack of development of a well-controlled nitric oxide (NO) release system at the target site. Inspired by Chinese medicine, we propose a revealing new keratin application. Keratin has garnered attention as an NO generator; however, its oncological use has rarely been investigated. We hypothesized that the incorporation of a phenylboronic acid (PBA) targeting ligand/methylene blue (MB) photosensitizer with a keratin NO donor would facilitate precise tumor delivery, enhancing PDT. Herein, we demonstrated that MB@keratin/PBA/d-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) nanoparticles (MB@KPTNPs) specifically targeted breast cancer cells and effectively suppressed their growth. Through MB-mediated biometabolism, the endocytic MB@KPTNPs produced a sufficient amount of intracellular NO that reduced the glutathione level while boosting the efficiency of PDT. A therapeutic combination of NO/PDT was therefore achieved, resulting in significant inhibition of both in vivo tumor growth and lung metastasis. These findings underscore the importance of utilizing keratin-based nanoparticles that simultaneously combine targeting of the tumor and self-generating NO with a cascading catalytic ability as a novel oxidation therapeutic strategy for enhancing PDT.

A comprehensive integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses to reveal key genes and essential metabolic pathways involved in CMS in kenaf.

KEY MESSAGE: Numbers of critical genes and pathways were found from the levels of transcriptome and metabolome, which were useful information for understanding of kenaf CMS mechanism. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a maternally inherited trait in higher plants that leads to the inability to produce or release functional pollen. However, there is lack of comprehensive studies to reveal the molecular basis of CMS occurrence in kenaf. Herein, we performed transcriptome and UPLC-MS-based metabolome analyses in the anthers of a CMS (UG93A) and its maintainer (UG93B) to sort out essential genes and metabolites responding to CMS in kenaf. Transcriptome characterized 7769 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between these two materials, and pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved mainly in pentose and glucuronate interconversions, starch and sucrose metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. In the metabolome assay, a total of 116 significantly different metabolites (SDMs) were identified between the CMS and its maintainer line, and these SDMs were involved in eight KEGG pathways, including flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor biosynthesi. Integrated analyses of transcriptome and metabolome showed that 50 genes had strong correlation coefficient values (R2 > 0.9) with ten metabolites enriched in six pathways; notably, most genes and metabolites of flavonoid biosynthesis pathways and flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways involved in flavonoids biosynthetic pathways were downregulated in CMS compared to those in maintainer. Taken together, the decreased accumulation of flavonoids resulted from the compromised biosynthesis pathways coupled with energy deficiency in the anthers may contribute largely to CMS in UG93A of kenaf.

Role of gut microbiota in identification of novel TCM-derived active metabolites.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been extensively used to ameliorate diseases in Asia for over thousands of years. However, owing to a lack of formal scientific validation, the absence of information regarding the mechanisms underlying TCMs restricts their application. After oral administration, TCM herbal ingredients frequently are not directly absorbed by the host, but rather enter the intestine to be transformed by gut microbiota. The gut microbiota is a microbial community living in animal intestines, and functions to maintain host homeostasis and health. Increasing evidences indicate that TCM herbs closely affect gut microbiota composition, which is associated with the conversion of herbal components into active metabolites. These may significantly affect the therapeutic activity of TCMs. Microbiota analyses, in conjunction with modern multiomics platforms, can together identify novel functional metabolites and form the basis of future TCM research.

Role of gut microbiota in identification of novel TCM-derived active metabolites

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been extensively used to ameliorate diseases in Asia for over thousands of years. However, owing to a lack of formal scientific validation, the absence of information regarding the mechanisms underlying TCMs restricts their application. After oral administration, TCM herbal ingredients frequently are not directly absorbed by the host, but rather enter the intestine to be transformed by gut microbiota. The gut microbiota is a microbial community living in animal intestines, and functions to maintain host homeostasis and health. Increasing evidences indicate that TCM herbs closely affect gut microbiota composition, which is associated with the conversion of herbal components into active metabolites. These may significantly affect the therapeutic activity of TCMs. Microbiota analyses, in conjunction with modern multiomics platforms, can together identify novel functional metabolites and form the basis of future TCM research.

Effects of Keluoxin capsule combined with losartan potassium on diabetic kidney disease: study protocol for a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most important microvascular complications of diabetes, and its prevalence has increased dramatically in the past few decades. DKD is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality of patients with diabetes. Keluoxin capsule (KLX) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used in the clinic to control DKD for years. Previous studies have shown that KLX appears to reduce proteinuria, but the study protocols as well as the primary outcome need to be improved. Thus, we aim to evaluate whether losartan potassium combined with KLX is more effective than losartan potassium in DKD treatment and to provide validated evidence for the application of KLX in the treatment of DKD. METHODS: We will conduct a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial. A total of 252 participants diagnosed with DKD recruited from 18 institutions will be randomly allocated to either a losartan potassium plus KLX (n = 126) or a losartan potassium plus placebo group (n = 126). The participants will be administered KLX or placebo in addition to losartan potassium for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (ml/min/1.73 m2/year) from baseline within 24 weeks, and the secondary outcomes will be the incidence of serum creatinine doubling, the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the proportion of subjects with a progressive decline in eGFR > 30%, the percent change in 24 h urinary total protein (UTP), the change in the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), and the total effective rate of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scale scores. Comparison of the differences in the variables between groups will be performed according to the data revealed by independent t tests, chi-squared tests, Fisher's exact tests, or Wilcoxon's tests. All statistical tests will be two-sided, and significance will be considered for p values < 0.05. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KLX versus the placebo for the treatment of patients with DKD. The outcome of this trial will provide a basis for prescribing KLX to patients with DKD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ) ChiCTR1900021113. Registered on January 29, 2019.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the medicinal plant Sophora tonkinensis.

Sophora tonkinensis belongs to genus Sophora of the Fabaceae family. It is mainly distributed in the ridge and peak regions of limestone areas in western China and has high medicinal value and important ecological functions. Wild populations of S. tonkinensis are in danger and need urgent conservation. Furthermore, wild S. tonkinensis resources are very limited relative to the needs of the market, and many adulterants are present on the market. Therefore, a method for authenticating S. tonkinensis and its adulterants at the molecular level is needed. Chloroplast genomes are valuable sources of genetic markers for phylogenetic analyses, genetic diversity evaluation, and plant molecular identification. In this study, we report the complete chloroplast genome of S. tonkinensis. The circular complete chloroplast genome was 154,644 bp in length, containing an 85,810 bp long single-copy (LSC) region, an 18,321 bp short single-copy (SSC) region and two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 50,513 bp. The S. tonkinensis chloroplast genome comprised 129 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The structure, gene order and guanine and cytosine (GC) content of the S. tonkinensis chloroplast genome were similar to those of the Sophora alopecuroides and Sophora flavescens chloroplast genomes. A total of 1,760 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the chloroplast genome of S. tonkinensis, and most of them (93.1%) were mononucleotides. Moreover, the identified SSRs were mainly distributed in the LSC region, accounting for 60% of the total number of SSRs, while 316 (18%) and 383 (22%) were located in the SSC and IR regions, respectively. Only one complete copy of the rpl2 gene was present at the LSC/IRB boundary, while another copy was absent from the IRA region because of the incomplete structure caused by IR region expansion and contraction. The phylogenetic analysis placed S. tonkinensis in Papilionoideae, sister to S. flavescens, and the genera Sophora and Ammopiptanthus were closely related. The complete genome sequencing and chloroplast genome comparative analysis of S. tonkinensis and its closely related species presented in this paper will help formulate effective conservation and management strategies as well as molecular identification approaches for this important medicinal plant.

Impaired bile acid metabolism with defectives of mitochondrial-tRNA taurine modification and bile acid taurine conjugation in the taurine depleted cats.

Taurine that conjugates with bile acid (BA) and mitochondrial-tRNA (mt-tRNA) is a conditional essential amino acid in humans, similarly to cats. To better understand the influence of acquired depletion of taurine on BA metabolism, the profiling of BAs and its intermediates, BA metabolism-enzyme expression, and taurine modified mt-tRNAs were evaluated in the taurine deficient diet-supplemented cats. In the taurine depleted cats, taurine-conjugated bile acids in bile and taurine-modified mt-tRNA in liver were significantly decreased, whereas unconjugated BA in serum was markedly increased. Impaired bile acid metabolism in the liver was induced accompanied with the decreases of mitochondrial cholesterol 27-hydroxylase expression and mitochondrial activity. Consequently, total bile acid concentration in bile was significantly decreased by the low activity of mitochondrial bile acid synthesis. These results implied that the insufficient dietary taurine intake causes impaired bile acid metabolism, and in turn, a risk for the various diseases similar to the mitochondrial diseases would be enhanced.

Analysis of clinical application characteristics of Xiyanping Injection in 194 873 cases in real world / 中国中药杂志

To analyze the clinincal application characteristics of Xiyanping Injection in real world. The data of the patients came from the hospital information systerm(HIS) of 29 tertiary hospitals in China from 2006 to 2016. It included three parts about basic information, Western medicine diagnosis information, and doctor advice information. The exploration was conducted for the characteristics of the patients and disease distribution as well as the therapeutic regimen. Apriori algorithm was adopted to establish the models, and Clementing 12.0 was used for a correlation analysis of the comprehensive therapeutic regimen of Xiyanping Injection. There were 194 873 cases in the study. The male to female ratio was 1.44∶1. The median age was 4 years old. The median daily dosage was 200 mg. 46.68% of the patients were administered with 250-500 mg, and 33.07% were 50-100 mg one day. 47.08% of the patients were administered for 4-7 d, and 32.65% of the patients were 1-3 d. In the doctor advice information, the most frequently types of Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine were mucilagin, heat-clearing agent. Second generation cephalosporins, third generation cephalosporins, compound penicillin were the most common types of antibiotic. Interferon, nucleoside and nucleotide, human immunoglobulin were the most common types of antiviral drug. The mining association rules results were analyzed, finding the application of Xiyanping Injection in severe infectious diseases. To improve respiratory symptoms, Xiyanping Injection treaments were Budesonide + Ipratropium Bromide + Ambroxol. To severe pulmonary infection, the treaments were Dopamine + Ambroxine. To severe hand, foot and mouth disease, the treatments were Namefen + Mannitol. To pulmonary heart failure, the treatments were Dobutamine + Heparin. Based on the results of the real world HIS, we could provide clinical application the idea, and a reference for further excavation of the applicable diseases of Xiyanping Injection.

Effects of Taurine on Broiler Aortic Endothelial Cells Activity and Antioxidant Ability Impired by Heat Stress In Vitro.

In order to provide a theoretical basis for the amelioration of heat stress-related diseases in broilers by taurine supplementation, the effect of taurine on the viability and antioxidant ability of aortic endothelial cells in broilers under heat stress was investigated in the present study. In this experiment, 10d healthy broilers were sacrificed, then aortic tissue was used for aortic endothelial cells isolation and cultivation. Tissue patching was used to cultivate primary broiler aortic endothelial cells. The 3rd to 5th generations of cells were used and randomly divided into five groups, including the control group (C), the heat-stressed group (HS), the Tau(HS + LTau) group, the Tau(HS + MTau) group and the Tau(HS + HTau) group. Cells were cultivated for 24 h in a cell incubator (37 °C, 5%CO2). Then heat-stressed cells were placed in a 43 °C thermostatic water bath for 6 h, followed by incubation in the cell incubator under 37°Cfor 1 h. The results were as follows (1) Based on MTT colorimetry and AO/EB staining, the activity of aortic endothelial cells was decreased, but the rate of apoptosis was increased in the HS group. Compared with the HS group, the taurine groups showed significantly higher level in relative survival rates (P < 0.05), and significantly lower apoptosis rates (P < 0.05); (2) compared to control group, LDH activity and MDA content of endothelial cells in the HS group were significantly increased (P < 0.01), while the levels of T-SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC were significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The LDH activity and MDA content of endothelial cells were significantly lower in Tau group than those of HS group (P < 0.05), while the T-SOD activity, GSH-Px activity and T-AOC of endothelial cells were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the taurine group. The results show that HS decreases antioxidant capacity, which causes severe oxidative damage to the endothelial cells; while taurine administration prevents the decline in LDH activity and MDA content, and increases the activity of several antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC, which implies that taurine can improve the broiler aortic endothelial cells activity and antioxidant ability under heat stress.

Therapeutic Mechanisms of Herbal Medicines Against Insulin Resistance: A Review.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which insulin sensitivity is reduced and the insulin signaling pathway is impaired. Although often expressed as an increase in insulin concentration, the disease is characterized by a decrease in insulin action. This increased workload of the pancreas and the consequent decompensation are not only the main mechanisms for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but also exacerbate the damage of metabolic diseases, including obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, metabolic syndrome, and others. Many clinical trials have suggested the potential role of herbs in the treatment of insulin resistance, although most of the clinical trials included in this review have certain flaws and bias risks in their methodological design, including the generation of randomization, the concealment of allocation, blinding, and inadequate reporting of sample size estimates. These studies involve not only the single-flavored herbs, but also herbal formulas, extracts, and active ingredients. Numerous of in vitro and in vivo studies have pointed out that the role of herbal medicine in improving insulin resistance is related to interventions in various aspects of the insulin signaling pathway. The targets involved in these studies include insulin receptor substrate, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, glucose transporter, AMP-activated protein kinase, glycogen synthase kinase 3, mitogen-activated protein kinases, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase, nuclear factor-kappaB, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. Improved insulin sensitivity upon treatment with herbal medicine provides considerable prospects for treating insulin resistance. This article reviews studies of the target mechanisms of herbal treatments for insulin resistance.