Identification of chemical components and network pharmacology of Huanglian Decoction based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology / 中国中药杂志

The chemical components of Huanglian Decoction were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technology. The gradient elution was conducted in Agilent ZORBAX Extend-C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm) with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1) and the column temperature of 35 ℃. The MS adopted the positive and negative ion mode of electrospray ionization(ESI), and the MS data were collected under the scanning range of m/z 100-1 500. Through high-resolution MS data analysis, combined with literature comparison and confirmation of reference substances, this paper identified 134 chemical components in Huanglian Decoction, including 12 alkaloids, 23 flavonoids, 22 terpenes and saponins, 12 phenols, 7 coumarins, 12 amino acids, 23 organic acids, and 23 other compounds, and the medicinal sources of the compounds were ascribed. Based on the previous studies, 7 components were selected as the index components. Combined with the network pharmacology research and analysis me-thods, the protein and protein interaction(PPI) network information of the intersection targets was obtained through the STRING 11.0 database, and 20 core targets of efficacy were screened out. In this study, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology was successfully used to comprehensively analyze and identify the chemical components of Huanglian Decoction, and the core targets of its efficacy were discussed in combination with network pharmacology, which laid the foundation for clarifying the material basis and quality control of Huanglian Decoction.

A clinical comparative study on the Laennec’s approach versus the two-step separation stylized approach in laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To compare the clinical outcomes of the Laennec’s approach versus the two-step separation stylized approach in laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy (LLLS).Methods:A total of 60 patients who underwent LLLS at the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University from March 2019 to April 2022 were prospectively entered into this study. There were 40 males and 20 females, aged (49.1±9.3) years, with 31 patients suffering from liver cancer, 14 patients hepatic hemangioma and 15 patients hepatolithiasis. A randomized number table was used to assign the patients into two groups: the Laennec’s approach group ( n=30) and the two-step separation stylized approach group ( n=30). The age, gender, liver function, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, abdominal drainage amount, drainage tube retention time, postoperative hospital stay, total hospital costs and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results:There were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age and Child-Pugh grading of liver function (all P>0.05). Comparison of intraoperative bleeding, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications, postoperative recurrence between the two groups showed there were no significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). The operative time [(85.6±24.5) min vs (99.1±30.7) min, P<0.05] was significantly less in the stylized group than the Laennec’s group, while the Laennec’s group were superior to the stylized group in the amount of draining [(144.1±38.3) ml vs (290.9±59.5) ml], drainage tube retention time [(2.7±1.5) d vs (4.3±1.9) d] and total hospital costs [(35 100.7±13 200.6) yuan vs (44 700.1±11 800.8) yuan](all P<0.05). Conclusions:Both the Laennec’s and stylized approaches for LLLS were safe and feasible. The stylized approach for LLLS could be performed more quickly, while the Laennec’s approach could more accurately dissect and handle intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts, thus resulting in decreased postoperative exudation and treatment costs.

Sudapyridine (WX-081), a Novel Compound against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Bedaquiline (BDQ) was historically listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 as the preferred option for rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). However, when there is no other effective regimen, the side effects and weaknesses of BDQ limit its use of MDR-TB. There is a black box warning in the package insert of BDQ to warn patients and health care professionals that this drug may increase the risk of unexplained mortality and QT prolongation, which may lead to abnormal and potentially fatal cardiac rhythm. In addition, the phenomenon of elevated liver enzymes in clinical trials of BDQ is a potential sign of hepatotoxicity. Therefore, it is still a medical need to develop new compounds with better safety profiles, patient compliance, affordability, and the ability to retain the efficacy of BDQ. After extensive lead generation and optimization, a new analog, sudapyridine (WX-081), was selected as a potential new antituberculosis candidate to move into clinical trials. Here, we evaluated WX-081's overall preclinical profile, including efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology. The in vitro activity of WX-081 against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis was comparable to that of BDQ, and there was comparable efficacy between WX-081 and BDQ in both acute and chronic mouse tuberculosis models using low-dose aerosol infection. Moreover, WX-081 improved pharmacokinetic parameters and, more importantly, had no adverse effects on blood pressure, heart rate, or qualitative ECG parameters from nonclinical toxicology studies. WX-081 is under investigation in a phase 2 study in patients. IMPORTANCE This study is aimed at chemotherapy for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), mainly to develop new anti-TB drugs to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a microorganism with strong drug resistance. In this study, the structure of a potent antituberculosis compound, bedaquiline (BDQ), was optimized to generate a new compound, sudapyridine (WX-081). This experiment showed that its efficacy was similar to that of BDQ, its cardiotoxicity was lower, and it had good kinetic characteristics. This compound will certainly achieve significant results in the control and treatment of tuberculosis in the future.

Quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Zhuru Decoction / 中国中药杂志

A total of 18 batches of Zhuru Decoction samples were prepared. Chromatographic fingerprints were established for Zhuru Decoction and single decoction pieces, the content of which was then determined. The extraction rate ranges, content, and transfer rate ranges of puerarin, liquiritin, and glycyrrhizic acid, together with the common peaks and the similarity range of the fingerprints, were determined to clarify key quality attributes of Zhuru Decoction. The 18 batches of Zhuru Decoction samples had 25 common peaks and the fingerprint similarity higher than 0.95. Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens had 21, 3, and 1 characteristic peaks, respectively. The 18 batches of samples showed the extraction rates within the range of 18.45%-25.29%. Puerarin had the content of 2.20%-3.07% and the transfer rate of 38.5%-45.9%; liquiritin had the content of 0.24%-0.85% and the transfer rate of 15.9%-37.5%; glycyrrhizic acid had the content of 0.39%-1.87% and the transfer rate of 16.2%-32.8%. In this paper, the quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Zhuru Decoction was analyzed based on chromatographic fingerprints, extraction rate, and the content of index components. A scientific and stable method was preliminarily established, which provided a scientific basis for the quality control and formulation development of Zhuru Decoction.

Quality value transfer of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction / 中国中药杂志

Following the preparation of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction from 18 batches, the method for detecting their characteristic spectra was established to identify the similarity range and peak attribution. The content and transfer rate ranges of the index components coptisine, palmatine, berberine, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, 6-gingerol, and cinnamaldehyde and the extraction amount were combined for analyzing the quality value transfer from the Chinese medicinal pieces to substance benchmarks and clarifying the key quality attributes of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction. The results showed that the substance benchmarks in Huang-lian Decoction of 18 batches exhibited good similarity in characteristic spectra(all greater than 0.98). There were 17 characteristic peaks identified in the substance benchmarks of Huanglian Decoction, including 10 from Coptidis Rhizoma, 3 from Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle(processed with water), 1 from Zingiberis Rhizoma, and 3 from Cinnamomi Ramulus. The contents and average transfer rates of the index components were listed as follows: coptisine 2.20-6.46 mg·g~(-1) and 18.50%±2.93%; palmatine 3.03-8.13 mg·g~(-1) and 26.56%±4.69%; berberine 7.71-22.29 mg·g~(-1) and 17.34%±3.00%; liquiritin 0.88-2.18 mg·g~(-1) and 9.88%±4.88%; glycyrrhizic acid 1.83-4.44 mg·g~(-1) and 8.50%±3.72%; 6-gingerol 0.56-1.43 mg·g~(-1) and 11.36%±2.37%; cinnamaldehyde 1.55-3.48 mg·g~(-1) and 19.02%±4.36%. The extraction amount of the substance benchmarks from the 18 batches was controlled at 10.65%-13.88%. In this paper, the quality value transfer of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction was analyzed based on the characteristic spectra, the index component contents and the extraction amount, which has provided a basis for the subsequent development of Huanglian Decoction and the quality control of its related preparations.

Efficacy and safety of Shenyankangfu Tablet, a Chinese patent medicine, for primary glomerulonephritis: A multicenter randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease.@*OBJECTIVE@#This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium.@*DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION@#This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m@*MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES@#The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment.@*RESULTS@#A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group.@*CONCLUSION@#SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER@#NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Analysis on traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions treating cancerous fever based on grey screening method combined with multivariate analysis method and discovery of new prescriptions / 中国中药杂志

Cancerous fever is one of the common symptoms of advanced malignant tumors,which seriously affects the quality of life and survival of patients. At present,the clinical research on the treatment of cancerous fever by traditional Chinese medicine is limited,and there is a lack of research on the medication rules from multiple dimensions of disease-symptom-syndrome. The treatment of cancerous fever has not made substantial progress. In this study,we collected the literature on treatment of cancerous fever in Chinese medicine,and concluded that common syndrome types include Yin deficiency type,Qi deficiency type,Yang deficiency type,blood stasis type,damp-heat accumulation type,toxic heat flourishing type and liver meridian stagnated heat type. Two hundreds and fifty-seven prescriptions for Chinese medicine and 249 flavors for single medicine were extracted. The analysis of the drug composition of the drug found that the cancerous fever treatment was mainly based on heat-clearing drugs and deficiency-nourishing drugs. Apriori association analysis of the drug found that the second and third related drugs were mainly Rehmanniae Radix,Moutan Cortex,Artemisiae Annuae Herba,Trionycis Carapax and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma. The top five gray correlation degrees were Psoraleae Fructus,Bupleuri Radix,Hordei Fructus Germinatus,Scutellariae Radix and Massa Medicata Fermentata. And seven new prescriptions were evolved. The results showed that the treatment of cancerous fever can be started from the disease-symptom-syndrome,nourishing Yin and clearing heat is an important method for " disease differentiation and treatment". The combination of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix is the embodiment of " symptom differentiation and treatment". The new prescriptions conform to the idea of " syndrome differentiation and treatment" of traditional Chinese medicine can provide reference for clinical medication. The grey screening method combined with multivariate analysis method was used to analyze the prescription rules of Chinese medicine in the treatment of cancer fever,which followed the black box structure of traditional Chinese medicine,made the potential rule of prescriptions explicit,broadened its thinking of Chinese medicine treatment,and made up for the deficiency of traditional analysis methods.

Activities of Biapenem against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Macrophages and Mice / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the activities of biapenem against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.@*METHODS@#Biapenem/clavulanate (BP/CL) was evaluated for in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates, extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolates, and the H37RV strain. BP/CL activity against the H37Rv strain was assessed in liquid cultures, in macrophages, and in mice..@*RESULTS@#BP/CL exhibited activity against MDR and XDR Mtb isolates in liquid cultures. BP/CL treatment significantly reduced the number of colony forming units (CFU) of Mtb within macrophages compared with control untreated infected macrophages. Notably, BP/CL synergized in pairwise combinations with protionamide, aminosalicylate, and capreomycin to achieve a fractional inhibitory concentration for each pairing of 0.375 in vitro. In a mouse tuberculosis infection model, the efficacy of a cocktail of levofloxacin + pyrazinamide + protionamide + aminosalicylate against Mtb increased when the cocktail was combined with BP/CL, achieving efficacy similar to that of the positive control treatment (isoniazid + rifampin + pyrazinamide) after 2 months of treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#BP/CL may provide a new option to clinically treat MDR tuberculosis.

Inflammation and intestinal leakiness in older HIV+ individuals with fish oil treatment.

Fish oil is a natural product that has shown efficacy for managing inflammatory conditions with few side effects. There is emerging evidence that crosstalks between gut epithelial cells and immune cells contribute to chronic infectious diseases. HIV-infected (HIV+) older adults show age-related co-morbidities at a younger age than their uninfected counterparts. Persistent inflammation related to the chronic viral infection and its sequelae is thought to contribute to this disparity. However, little is known about whether fish oil reduces intestinal inflammation in HIV + patients. We measure inflammation and gut barrier function in HIV + older adults (median age = 52, N = 33), following 12 weeks of fish oil supplementation (a total daily dose of 1.6 g of omega-3 fatty acids). We showed a reduction in inflammation and gut permeability as measured by CD14, inflammatory cytokines, lipopolysaccharide, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein. The results indicate that older HIV + adults may benefit from a diet supplemented with the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

[Prediction of drug-target interaction based on fingerprint similarity].

Drugs play the pharmacological effects by combining with target proteins. Identification of drug-target interactions is important for discovering new functions of drugs. In this paper, the target fingerprints based on molecular substructure and the drug-target similarity based on fingerprints are proposed to a random forest-based classification method, in order to identify the drug-target interactions. Experiments on enzymes, ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors and nuclear receptors proved the effectiveness of the proposed method. In addition, the proposed method is applied to predict the interactions between ingredients and targets of traditional Chinese medicines.

Therapeutic Effects of Static Magnetic Field on Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats.

Objective. To investigate the effects of static magnetic field (SMF) on cutaneous wound healing of Streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats. Methods. 20 STZ-induced diabetic rats were randomly divided into two groups (10 in each group): diabetic rats with SMF exposure group which were exposed to SMF by gluing one magnetic disk of 230 mT intensity and diabetic rats with sham SMF exposure group (sham group). 10 normal Wistar rats were used as the control group. One open circular wound with 2 cm diameter in the dorsum was generated on both normal and diabetic rats and then covered with sterile gauzes. Wound healing was evaluated by wound area reduction rate, mean time to wound closure, and wound tensile strength. Results. The wound area reduction rate in diabetic rats in comparison with the control group was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with sham magnet group, diabetic rats under 230 mT SMF exposure demonstrated significantly accelerated wound area reduction rate on postoperative days 7, 14, and 21 and decreased gross time to wound closure (P < 0.05), as well as dramatically higher wound tissue strength (P < 0.05) on 21st day. Conclusion. 230 mT SMF promoted the healing of skin wound in diabetic rats and may provide a non-invasive therapeutic tool for impaired wound healing of diabetic patients.

Study on Reproductive Biology of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To study the reproductive biology of Chinese herbal medicine Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. Methods The flowering habit of P. cyrtonema was observed and recorded regularly. The pollen viability at different flowering periods was detected by TTC. The stigma activity at different flowering periods was measured by the benzidine-hydrogen peroxide method. The hybridization index was estimated and pollen-ovule ratio was calculated. The breeding system of P. cyrtonema was determined by six different artificial pollination treatments. Results The flower buds of P. cyrtonema appeared at April 5. They bloomed at April 10 and fruited early in May, flowering about 30–40 days. The pollen began to have viability since the anthers were not cracked, and loss viability after flowers withered. The pollen viability at the bloom day was about 73.06%±5.19%. The stigmas began to have activity before flowers opening and lost it when the flowers began to decline. The hybridization index was 4, so the breeding system of P. cyrtonema Hua was partly self-compatible and xenogamy needing pollinator according to Dafni's standard.The pollen-ovule ratio was 1799.20±445.54,therefore the breeding system of P.cyrtonema Hua was facultative xenogamy according to Cruden's standard. The results of artificial pollination experiments showed that P. cyrtonema Hua had three breeding methods,including apomixis,selfing and outcrossing.The fruit setting rate of P. cyrtonema Hua was greatly influenced by external conditions such as strong wind and rain.Generally,P.cyrtonema Hua had a low fruit-set percentage because of obvious flower and fruit dropping. The natural fruit setting rate was only 17.46%. Conclusion The coexistence of apomixes, sexual and asexual reproduction in P. cyrtonema are the survival strategy adapting to different habitat types.

Study on Reproductive Biology of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To study the reproductive biology of Chinese herbal medicine Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. Methods The flowering habit of P. cyrtonema was observed and recorded regularly. The pollen viability at different flowering periods was detected by TTC. The stigma activity at different flowering periods was measured by the benzidine-hydrogen peroxide method. The hybridization index was estimated and pollen-ovule ratio was calculated. The breeding system of P. cyrtonema was determined by six different artificial pollination treatments. Results The flower buds of P. cyrtonema appeared at April 5. They bloomed at April 10 and fruited early in May, flowering about 30–40 days. The pollen began to have viability since the anthers were not cracked, and loss viability after flowers withered. The pollen viability at the bloom day was about 73.06%±5.19%. The stigmas began to have activity before flowers opening and lost it when the flowers began to decline. The hybridization index was 4, so the breeding system of P. cyrtonema Hua was partly self-compatible and xenogamy needing pollinator according to Dafni's standard.The pollen-ovule ratio was 1799.20±445.54,therefore the breeding system of P.cyrtonema Hua was facultative xenogamy according to Cruden's standard. The results of artificial pollination experiments showed that P. cyrtonema Hua had three breeding methods,including apomixis,selfing and outcrossing.The fruit setting rate of P. cyrtonema Hua was greatly influenced by external conditions such as strong wind and rain.Generally,P.cyrtonema Hua had a low fruit-set percentage because of obvious flower and fruit dropping. The natural fruit setting rate was only 17.46%. Conclusion The coexistence of apomixes, sexual and asexual reproduction in P. cyrtonema are the survival strategy adapting to different habitat types.

The Advance of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment on Cancer-related Sweating / 浙江中医药大学学报

[Objective] To research the progress of traditional Chincse medicine in the treatment of cancer-relatcd sweating.[Methods]Search the relevant literatures on the treatment of cancer-related sweating in the last 20 years at home and abroad,from the etiology,pathogenesis,treatment methods,pharmacology,mechanism of action,clinical remission rate to review.[Result] Compared with modern medical treatment,traditional Chinese medicine treatment significantly improved the clinical remission rate and quality of life of patients with cancer-related sweating through the method of syndrome differentiation and the flexible administration way,the side effects were also very small.[Conclusion] Traditional Chinese medicine treatment plays an important role in the treatment of cancer-related sweating,which provides new ideas and methords for prevention and treatment.It is worthy of clinical application and popularization in the treatment field.

Brazilin plays an anti-inflammatory role with regulating Toll-like receptor 2 and TLR 2 downstream pathways in Staphylococcus aureus-induced mastitis in mice.

Mastitis, which commonly occurs during the postpartum period, is caused by the infection of the mammary glands. The most common infectious bacterial pathogen of mastitis is Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in both human and animals. Brazilin, a compound isolated from the traditional herbal medicine Caesalpinia sappan L., has been shown to exhibit multiple biological properties. The present study was performed to determine the effect of brazilin on the inflammatory response in the mouse model of S. aureus mastitis and to confirm the mechanism of action involved. Brazilin treatment was applied in both a mouse model and cells. After brazilin treatment of cells, Western blotting and qPCR were performed to detect the protein levels and mRNA levels, respectively. Brazilin treatment significantly attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited the expressions of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of brazilin in mice suppressed S. aureus-induced inflammatory injury and the production of proinflammatory mediators. This suppression was achieved by reducing the increased expression of TLR2 and regulating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in the mammary gland tissues and cells with S. aureus-induced mastitis. These results suggest that brazilin appears to be an effective drug for the treatment of mastitis and may be applied as a clinical therapy.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with interferon-α is safe and effective for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

OBJECTIVES: Intrahepatic recurrence is the major cause of death among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)- related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative surgical resection. Several approaches have been reported to decrease the recurrence rate. The objective of our study was to compare the clinical effects of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with interferon-alpha (IFN-α) therapy on recurrence after hepatic resection in patients with HBV-related HCC with that of TACE chemotherapy alone. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 228 patients who were diagnosed with HBV-related HCC and underwent curative resection between January 2001 to December 2008. The patients were divided into TACE (n = 126) and TACE-IFN-α (n = 102) groups for postoperative chemotherapy. The TACE regimen consisted of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin (DDP) , and the emulsion mixed with mitomycin C (MMC) and lipiodol. The recurrence rates, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and risk of recurrence were evaluated. RESULTS: The clinicopathological parameters and adverse effects were similar between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The median OS for the TACE- IFN-α group (36.3 months) was significantly longer than that of the TACE group (24.5 months, P < 0.05). The 3-and 5-year OS for the TACE-IFN-α group were significantly longer than those of the TACE group (P < 0.05) and the recurrence rate was significantly lower (P < 0.05). The TACE and IFN-α combination therapy, active hepatitis HBV infection, the number of tumor nodules, microvascular invasion, liver cirrhosis, and the BCLC stage were independent predictors of OS and DFS. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the TACE and IFN-α combination chemotherapy after curative hepatic resection safely and effectively improves OS and decreases recurrence in patients with HBV-related HCC who are at high risk. Our findings can serve as a guide for the selection of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with HBV-related HCC who are at high risk of recurrence.

Bergenin Plays an Anti-Inflammatory Role via the Modulation of MAPK and NF-κB Signaling Pathways in a Mouse Model of LPS-Induced Mastitis.

Mastitis is a major disease in humans and other animals and is characterized by mammary gland inflammation. It is a major disease of the dairy industry. Bergenin is an active constituent of the plants of genus Bergenia. Research indicates that bergenin has multiple biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effects and mechanism of bergenin on the mammary glands during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis. In this study, mice were treated with LPS to induce mammary gland mastitis as a model for the disease. Bergenin treatment was initiated after LPS stimulation for 24 h. The results indicated that bergenin attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration and decreased the concentration of NO, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, which were increased in LPS-induced mouse mastitis. Furthermore, bergenin downregulated the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway proteins in mammary glands with mastitis. In conclusion, bergenin reduced the expression of NO, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 proinflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways, and it may represent a novel treatment strategy for mastitis.

Study on Chinese medicine syndrome of colorectal carcinoma in perioperative period / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the distribution characteristics of Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes and the rule of dynamic evolvement in patients with colorectal cancer at the perioperative period by applying a mathematical statistics methodology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By using the overall sample date, and cross-sectional descriptive and prospective researching methods, the clinical data of CM symptoms of patients with colorectal cancer from the first day of preoperative care to the third, seventh, and tenth days after the operation were collected. The distribution characteristics of CM syndromes and dynamic evolution were concluded upon by experts, and then by building up a database through the use of EpiData3.1 the frequency statistics and cluster analyses were applied utilizing SAS9.2 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 210 cases of patient, on the day before the operation, the main route of syndrome was blood deficiency (33.33%), followed by the syndrome of deficiency of both qi and yin (28.57%). On the third day after surgery, the main syndrome was qi deficiency (47.62%), followed by yin deficiency inner-heat. On the seventh day after surgery, the main syndrome was both yin deficiency inner-heat (33.33%) and phlegm-dampness (33.33%). On the tenth day after surgery, the main syndrome was a deficiency of both qi and yin (38.09%), followed by dampness and hot accumulative knotting (33.33%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Research in the field of the distribution characteristics of CM syndromes and dynamic evolution will provide an objective basis for syndrome differentiation for patients in the perioperative period, further advancing the study of preventing and decreasing relapse and metastasis in CM therapy.</p>

A strategy for detecting absorbed bioactive compounds for quality control in the water extract of rhubarb by ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect absorbed bioactive compounds of the water extract whose pharmacodynamic effect was craniocerebral protection for quality control assessment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Anthraquinones in water extract of rhubarb (WER), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in ipsilateral cortex of TBI rats following oral WER were respectively explored by ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method developed in the present study. The effects of anthraquinones absorbed into injured cortex on superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity in TBI rats were detected. The antioxidative anthraquinones absorbed into target organ were evaluated for quality control of WER.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Anthraquinones in WER were aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, and physcion. Only the last anthraquinone was found in CSF and in ipsilateral cortex under this chromatographic condition. Physcion increased SOD activity in TBI rats significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Physcion was the main active compound of rhubarb against craniocerebral injury via antioxidant pathway. According to our strategy, the exploration of physcion suggested the possibility of a novel quality control of WER in treating TBI injury.</p>

Combination treatment of alkaline electrolyzed water and citric acid with mild heat to ensure microbial safety, shelf-life and sensory quality of shredded carrots.

The objective of this study was to determine the synergistic effect of alkaline electrolyzed water and citric acid with mild heat against background and pathogenic microorganisms on carrots. Shredded carrots were inoculated with approximately 6-7 log CFU/g of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (932, and 933) and Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC 19116, and 19111) and then dip treated with alkaline electrolyzed water (AlEW), acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW), 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), deionized water (DaIW), or 1% citric acid (CA) alone or with combinations of AlEW and 1% CA (AlEW + CA). The populations of spoilage bacteria on the carrots were investigated after various exposure times (1, 3, and 5 min) and treatment at different dipping temperatures (1, 20, 40, and 50 °C) and then optimal condition (3 min at 50 °C) was applied against foodborne pathogens on the carrots. When compared to the untreated control, treatment AcEW most effectively reduced the numbers of total bacteria, yeast and fungi, followed by AlEW and 100 ppm NaOCl. Exposure to all treatments for 3 min significantly reduced the numbers of total bacteria, yeast and fungi on the carrots. As the dipping temperature increased from 1 °C to 50 °C, the reductions of total bacteria, yeast and fungi increased significantly from 0.22 to 2.67 log CFU/g during the wash treatment (p ≤ 0.05). The combined 1% citric acid and AlEW treatment at 50 °C showed a reduction of the total bacterial count and the yeast and fungi of around 3.7 log CFU/g, as well as effective reduction of L. monocytogenes (3.97 log CFU/g), and E. Coli O157:H7 (4 log CFU/g). Combinations of alkaline electrolyzed water and citric acid better maintained the sensory and microbial quality of the fresh-cut carrots and enhanced the overall shelf-life of the produce.