Vitamin D supplementation reduced blood inflammatory cytokines expression and improved graft function in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Chronic allograft dysfunction(CAD) is the leading cause of graft loss in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Inflammatory process is believed to be one of the major contributors to CAD. The aim of this study is to explore the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D (VD) supplementation in KTRs and its role in the graft function improvement(protection). Methods: A retrospective cohort of 39 KTRs with chronic antibody mediated rejection(CAMR)or stable renal function and a prospective cohort of 42 KTRs treated or untreated with VD were enrolled. Serum levels of vitamin D metabolism and serum inflammatory cytokines, renal graft function, and routine blood biomarkers were tested and dynamically tracked within 12 months post-transplant. Results: Compared with the stable group, the CAMR group exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-10, IP-10, and HMGB1 (P <0.05). The supplementation of vitamin D effectively increased the serum concentration of vitamin D in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) in the treated group. During the course of treatment, the treated group exhibited a gradual increase in eGFR levels, which were significantly higher than those observed in the untreated group at 12 months post-transplant (p<0.05). Notably, as eGFR improved, there was a significant decrease in levels of IL-1ß, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-10, IP-10 and HMGB1 in the treated group compared to the untreated group (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study confirmed that immune-inflammation is a crucial factor in the development of CAD in KTRs.VD deficiency impairs its anti-inflammatory activity. By assisting in the regulation of excessive immune inflammation and restoration of immune homeostasis, effective VD supplementation contributes to protection and maintenance of graft function in KTRs.

Based on the macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine exploring the material basis and mechanism of the analgesic effect of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction / 药学学报

In order to study the analgesic effect of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction, this paper discussed material basis and mechanism from the perspective of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine. Inspired by the phenomenon of turbidity after boiling Chinese medicine, this experiment took Shaoyao Gancao Decoction as the research object to study the formation process of precipitation during boiling. The results showed that aggregates with a certain shape were formed in the solvent during the boiling process, and the precipitate was obtained by standing and centrifuging. Analysis found that the precipitation was mainly composed of small molecules such as paeoniflorin, albiflorin, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritin and gallic acid, and macromolecules such as protein and polysaccharide. The composition of precipitate was consistent with that of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction, but the analgesic effect of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction after removing the precipitate was significantly reduced. Based on these results, we isolated small molecular compounds, polysaccharides and protein from Shaoyao Gancao Decoction and their contents are 60.4, 700.7 and 207.2 mg·g-1 respectively. We get the ratio, polysaccharide: small molecule = 11.6∶1, protein: small molecule = 3.4∶1, the precipitate is prepared in the state of boiling. The characterization results showed that the particle size of the precipitate will change significantly after co-heating, and the content determination results showed that the content of the six small molecular compounds which was free in solvent was significantly reduced after the formation of the precipitate. The acetic acid writhing experiment proved that the precipitate has a good analgesic effect, and effectively reduced the levels of inflammatory factors prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide, and increased the level of anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-10. These results proved that the precipitate in Shaoyao Gancao Decoction is an important material basis for analgesic effect, and macromolecules such as protein and polysaccharide are the main components of the precipitate. The study of macromolecules in the precipitate of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction not only provides new ideas and methods for elucidating the pharmacodynamic material basis of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction, but also provides a reference for analyzing the scientificity of traditional decoction.

Research progress on intra-arterial thrombolysis for the treatment of central retinal artery occlusion / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Central retinal artery occlusion(CRAO), also known as eye stroke, always results in acute and painless visual loss. At present, conservative treatments, such as eye massage, lowering intraocular pressure and vasodilators have little effect on reducing visual loss. Intra-arterial thrombolysis(IAT)has significantly improved prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke, thus IAT has been gradually applied in the treatment of CRAO. IAT injects fibrinolytic drugs directly into the ophthalmic artery by a microcatheter, and dissolves the emboli that block the central retinal artery to restore the blood flow of the retina. Theoretically, IAT may be effective for CRAO as what has been found for stroke, but existing clinical studies exhibited inconsistent results. This paper summarizes the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of IAT treatment in CRAO. It will also analyze related factors that affect the prognosis, putting forward potential development directions and providing insights for the further clinical application of IAT.

Tiaoqi Jieyu acupuncture for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of Tiaoqi Jieyu (regulating qi and relieving depression) acupuncture on the clinical symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and to explore the relationship between the acupuncture pain sensitivity and symptom's improvement.@*METHODS@#A total of 78 patients with TRD were randomly divided into an observation group (39 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (39 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The patients in the control group were treated with medications according to the treatment plan of psychiatrists (at least one medication was 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor). On the basis of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with Tiaoqi Jieyu acupuncture, and Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24+), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Taichong (LR 3), Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Zusanli (ST 36), etc. were selected. The acupuncture was given three times a week. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. After 8-week treatment, the response rate of Hamilton depression scale-24 (HAMD-24) score after was evaluated in the two groups. The scores of HAMD-24 and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) were compared between the two groups before treatment, after 4, 8-week treatment and 12 weeks after treatment (follow-up). After the first treatment and 8-week treatment, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score in the observation group was evaluated, and the correlation between VAS score after the first treatment and HAMD-24 score before treatment, between VAS score after the first treatment and the course of disease in the observation group was analyzed, and the correlation between difference of VAS after 8-week treatment and after the first treatment and difference of HAMD-24 score before treatment and after 8-week treatment was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#After 8-week treatment, the response rate of HAMD-24 score in the observation group was 52.8% (19/36), higher than 17.1% (6/35) in the control group (P<0.001). Compared before treatment, the scores of HAMD-24 and HAMA in the two groups were decreased after 4-week treatment, 8-week treatment and in follow-up (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were superior to the control group (P<0.05). After 8-week treatment, the acupuncture pain VAS score in the observation group was (5.28±2.13) points, which was higher than (3.33±1.62) points after the first treatment (P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between VAS score after the first treatment and HAMD-24 score before treatment in the observation group (r =-0.486, P=0.003); there was no correlation between acupuncture pain VAS score after the first treatment and the course of disease in the observation group (P>0.05). After 8-week treatment, there was a positive correlation between the difference of VAS score and the difference of HAMD-24 score in the observation group (r =0.514, P=0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Tiaoqi Jieyu acupuncture could improve the depression and anxiety in patients with TRD, and the symptom's improvement is related to the recovery of acupuncture pain sensitivity.

Mechanism of tonifying Qi by traditional Chinese medicine from mitochondrial dynamics / 中国中药杂志

According to the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory, Qi is the essential component maintaining life. Mitochondria are the cellular organelles that generate energy. Qi exhibits abundant common characteristics in bioenergetics compared with mitochondria which control the cellular energy through fusion and fission. Studies have proven that the qi-tonifying function of Chinese medicinal plants and their components facilitates mitochondrial fusion, therefore enhancing ATP synthesis. These studies provide a framework for deciphering the pharmacological mechanisms of Qi-tonifying herbs. This article introduces the common source and function shared by Qi and mitochondria and the regulatory effects of herbal remedies on energy from mitochondria dynamics. This review aims to interpret the connotation of tonifying qi in TCM theory based on the modern biomedical theory.

Survey on status quo of psychosomatic medical service ability and training needs among general practice resident physicians / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To investigate the current status of psychosomatic medical service competence and training needs among general practice resident physicians.Methods:An online questionnaire survey was conducted from August to September 2021, among general practice resident physicians selected by cluster sampling from 4 affiliated hospitals of Tongji University. The questionnaire contained the basic information, the self-assessment and training needs of psychosomatic medical service competence of participants, and psychosomatic medical service requirements of patients in the community.Results:A total of 159 questionnaires were distributed, and 140 were collected (88.1%). The survey showed that 25.7% (36/140) of participants believed that 50% or more patients had physical symptoms accompanied by emotional problems; 29.3% (41/140) thought that 50% or more patients had sleep problems, but 60.0% (84/140) of them failed to provide appropriate treatment. The rate of "core knowledge and concepts of psychosomatic medicine" was 47.5% (665/1 400) and the correct rate of "common psychosomatic diseases" was (64.6±23.4)%. Merely 21.4% (30/140) participants reported satisfaction with the psychosomatic medical service competence; 62.8% (88/140) respondents believed that the coverage rate of the above-mentioned competence training in the current general practice residential training program was less than 50%, and 66.4% (93/140) supported that more psychosomatic training was "necessary". The acceptance rate of online training, workshops, MDT, and clinical practice ranged from 56.4% (79/140) to 63.4% (89/140).Conclusions:The survey indicates that there are large needs for psychosomatic medical services among patients in community, but the competence and confidence of general practice resident physicians to provide the service are significantly insufficient. Therefore, it is suggested to strengthen the training of psychosomatic medical service competence in the general practice residency training program.

Crystallization transformation of amorphous extracts of traditional Chinese medicine and its effect on dissolution behavior — Taking total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata as an example / 中国药科大学学报

@#In order to guarantee the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the crystallization transformation of complex extracts of TCMs and the influence of solid form on their physicochemical properties were studied.The extract of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata was taken as a model.Crystallization transformation happened when lofting under different conditions, and the intrinsic dissolution tests were carried out.It was found that humidity was the key factor to induce crystallization of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata.The greater the wettability was, the more the crystallization was.The dissolution rate of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata with the most crystallization amount significantly decreased by 96.51% compared to the sample without crystallization.After further simulating the preparation process of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata, it was found that the wet granulation process with introduced water would also lead to crystallization and reduced dissolution rate.As for all crystallization samples, there was an inversely proportional relationship between the dissolution rates and the amount of crystallization.The risk of crystallization existed both in the storage and preparation process of TCM extracts.Crystallization would significantly affect the dissolution rate, and thus the quality of TCM products.In this study, the crystallization transformation of amorphous complex TCM extracts was discovered, and the effect of the crystallization transformation on its dissolution behavior was systematically studied, which provides a new research idea for assuring the quality of TCM products and promoting the improvement of TCM preparation level.

Exploring the safe and rational use of Epimedii Folium based on the evolution of efficacy/toxicity records in ancient and modern literature / 药学学报

Epimedii Folium is a traditional non-toxic Chinese herbal medicine. However, liver injury caused by Chinese herb preparations, including Epimedii Folium, is frequently reported over the years. Based on ancient and modern literature, this paper systematically summarized and analyzed the safe application of Epimedii Folium from the perspectives of varieties, processing methods, clinical adverse reactions, pharmacological effects and toxic mechanism. Combined with our team work, we build the comprehensive prevention and control system "human-drug-application", for the safe and rational application of Epimedii Folium. This study is expected to provide support for scientific evaluation and precise prevention and control of the safety risk of Epimedii Folium.

Efficacy of Qiancao () and Haipiaoxiao (), a traditional Chinese herb pair, on abnormal uterine bleeding in rats with incomplete abortion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the most effective weight ratio of Qiancao () and Haipiaoxiao () used to produce decoction for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in rats with incomplete abortion, and to study the possible mechanism. METHODS: The models of AUB were established by incomplete drug abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol in pregnant rats. The therapeutic effects of decoctions made by eight different weight ratios of Qiancao () and Haipiaoxiao () were observed. RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed that the most effective weight ratio of Qiancao () and Haipiaoxiao () to treat AUB in this study was 2∶1. CONCLUSION: The insights gained from this study would improve understanding of the mechanisms involved in the effect of Qiancao () and Haipiaoxiao () on AUB.

Non-Metallic Phosphorus Corrole as Efficient Electrocatalyst in Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The economical consideration of using an electrocatalyst in energy-related field, composed of non-precious/sustainable elements is quite noteworthy. In this work, the phosphorus(V) complex of tris-(pentafluorophenyl)corrole [(TPFC)PV (OH)2 ] was reported as electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The electrochemical studies revealed that the HER experienced a ECEC pathway (E: electron transfer step, C: chemical step), and the possible intermediate [PV ]-H species was suggested. (TPFC)PV (OH)2 displayed excellent HER activity in dimethylformamide (DMF) with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as the proton source, and the turnover frequency (TOF) reached 31.75 s-1 at an overpotential of 900 mV. Interestingly, the HER electrocatalytic performance remained extraordinary even applying water as a proton source in acetonitrile/water (v/v=2 : 3), with a TOF of 18.40 mol H 2 ${{_{{\rm H}{_{2}}}}}$ molcat -1 h-1 at an overpotential of 900 mV.

Investigation of Intestinal Absorption Characteristics of Multi-index Components of Danggui Buxuetang Based on Drug Absorption Simulating System / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the intestinal absorption characteristics of multi-index components in Danggui Buxuetang with drug absorption simulating system （DASS） established by everted intestinal sac model. MethodThe intestinal absorption solution at different time points after administration of Danggui Buxuetang was collected and detected by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）， acetonitrile （A）-0.2% glacial acetic acid solution （B） was used as the mobile phase for gradient elution （0-16 min， 15%-23%A； 16-20 min， 23%-28%A； 20-25 min， 28%-30%A； 25-30 min， 30%A； 30-35 min， 30%-65%A； 35-45 min， 65%-95%A）， the detection wavelength was 302 nm. HPLC fingerprint of intestinal absorption solution was established and the common peak was calibrated， and the relative cumulative absorption rate of each index component was calculated. The relative cumulative absorption curves of components were fitted with various mathematical models by DDSolver 1.0 to explore the absorption law of different components. ResultThe absorption process of C2 （calycosin-7-glucoside） and C6 in Danggui Buxuetang was in line with zero-order equation， C9 was best fitted by Weibull equation， and the remaining 7 components were in line with Makoid-Banakar equation. C1 with C2， C3， C5， C7 and C10， C2 with C5 and C7， C3 with C4， C5， C7 and C10， C4 with C6 and C10， C5 with C7， C6 with C10， C7 with C10， C8 with C9 were absorbed simultaneously during the absorption process. With the prolongation of time， the overall cumulative absorption rate of Danggui Buxuetang increased. At 120 min， the overall cumulative absorption rate of Danggui Buxuetang exceeded 38%， and reached 49.14% at 180 min. ConclusionTen ingredients in Danggui Buxuetang are absorbed in the jejunum， but absorption law of various components is different， which shows that the intestinal absorption of compound preparations of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has multiple characteristics. Intestinal absorption study of TCM compound preparations with chemical composition as the index can reveal some of its absorption law， but it is not complete.

Application Law of Coptidis Rhizoma to Diabetes and Its Complications： Based on Data Mining / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the application law of compound prescriptions containing Coptidis Rhizoma to diabetes and its complications based on data mining. MethodA total of 288 records on formulas containing Coptidis Rhizoma in the treatment of diabetes and its complications and the corresponding syndromes and symptoms were retrieved from the medical records of modern physicians， with 218 on the treatment of diabetes and 70 on the treatment of diabetes complications. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Computing Platform （V3.0） was used or data mining on the compositions of the formulas. Moreover， it was employed for the frequency statistics， formula analysis， symptom analysis， association rules analysis， network visualization， and cluster analysis. ResultThe 218 formulas containing Coptidis Rhizoma for the treatment of diabetes involved 190 Chinese medicinals. A total of 12 syndromes showed the occurrence frequency ≥ 6， and the one with the highest frequency was deficiency of both qi and yin， followed by the syndrome of excessive heat in lung and stomach， syndrome of Yin deficiency and effulgent fire， and syndrome of excessive heat and fluid consumption. The dose of Coptidis Rhizoma for the treatment of diabetes ranged from 1.5-30 g， and the most frequently used doses were 10， 6， and 5 g. The medicinal was frequently applied for the traditional Chinese medicine symptoms of dry stool， dry mouth and tongue， and swift digestion with rapid hungering. Moreover， 26 core medicinal pairs， 17 association rules， 3 diagrams on medicinal relationship， and 3 core combinations were yielded. The 70 formulas containing Coptidis Rhizoma for the treatment of diabetes complications involved 184 Chinese medicinals， and the top 3 complications were diabetic nephropathy， diabetic peripheral neuropathy， and diabetic gastroenteropathy. The dose of Coptidis Rhizoma in the treatment of diabetes complications fell in the range of 2-15 g， and 10， 6， and 5 g were most frequently used. ConclusionFormulas containing Coptidis Rhizoma for the treatment of diabetes and its complications mainly target the syndrome of dampness-heat transforming into fire and the syndrome of excessive heat damaging yin. This study can serve as a reference for standard use of Coptidis Rhizoma in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

First report of leaf spot caused by Colletotrichum siamense on Michelia alba in China.

Michelia alba (common name: white champaca), native to Indonesia, is a preciously ornamental and medicinal plant in the west and southeast of China and widely distributed in Nanning, Guangxi, China (Hou et al. 2018). In May 2020, a foliar disease of M. alba was observed in Nanning (22°51' N; 108°17' E), Guangxi, China, present on ca. 20-30% of the leaves. The disease began to develop from the margins of leaves in most cases. The symptoms recorded were light yellow spots, which gradually developed into ellipsoidal to irregular brown spots, surrounded by a wide yellow halo. The spots gradually enlarged in size and became grey-brown, with the dimension of 3.5 × 2.8 to 11.0 × 3.5 cm, even more than half of leaf area. In the later stage of infection, these spots coalesced resulting in necrosis and early shedding of the leaves. Sometimes black acervuli were observed on some lesions. For isolation of the fungus, ten symptomatic leaves were randomly sampled from five trees and washed with sterile water. Small pieces of infected tissue (about 4 mm2) were surface disinfected in 75% alcohol for 30 s and in 0.1% aqueous solution of mercury chloride for 1 min. Finally these tissue pieces were rinsed three times with sterile water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and then incubated for 7 days at 28℃ with a photoperiod of 12 h. Fifteen strains with similar morphological characterizations were isolated, and five representative isolates (BL-1 to BL-5) were purified. These cultures gave rise to grey-white colonies with bright orange conidial masses with contained one-celled, hyaline, guttulate conidia, measuring 12.68-20.70 × 4.27-7.84 µm (average 15.36 × 5.35 µm, n=100). Appressoria formed from conidia were brown, ellipsoidal or inverted trapezoid and measured 6.36-12.13 × 5.07-7.39 µm (average 8.29 × 6.36 µm, n=30). These morphological characteristics were similar to those of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (Weir et al. 2012). To confirm identification, genomic DNA from mycelium of these five isolates was extracted, and the sequence of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), chitin synthase (CHS-1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL) and ß-tubulin (TUB2) were amplified (Zhang et al. 2020), and the GenBank accession numbers for the sequences were MW186173 to MW186177 (ITS), MW161290 to 161294 (CHS-1), MW161295 to MW161299 (GAPDH), MW161285 to 161289 (ACT), MW084710 to 084714 (CAL) and MW161300 to MW161304 (TUB2). The phylogenetic tree of six combined genes of the five isolates clustered with Colletotrichum siamense strains (CBS 125378, ICMP 17795 and ICMP 18121). Therefore, the isolates were identified as C. siamense. Five isolates (BL-1 to BL-5) were tested for pathogenicity. Wounded and unwounded detached healthy leaves were inoculated using mycelial discs (5 mm in diameter) and conidial suspensions (with the concentration of 1 × 105 conidia/ml) at the same time, incubated in a growth chamber at 25-30℃ (85-90% relative humidity, with a photoperiod of 12 h). Three leaves (wounded left half blade and unwounded right half blade) were inoculated with different methods for each isolate, and the tests were repeated three times. Four days after inoculation, leaf spots were observed on all wounded leaves, while 5-10% of the unwounded leaves showed lesions. Control leaves inoculated with PDA discs and sterile water remained symptomless. Colletotrichum. siamense was re-isolated from the lesions, confirming Koch's postulates. At least 60 plant species have been reported to be infected by C. siamense worldwide (Ji et al. 2019). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing leaf spot on M. alba in China.

Effect of electroacupuncture combined with aerobic exercise on IGF-I /Akt pathway in skeletal muscle of aging rats / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effects of low-frequency electroacupuncture combined with aerobic exercise on sarocopenia, and the effects of IGF-I /Akt and its downstream signaling pathway-related protein.@*METHODS@#Naturally aging SD rats were used as research objects. Thirty-two 6-month-old male SD rats weighing 400 to 450 g were bred to 12-month-old and randomly divided into 4 groups according to body weight:Control group(YC, only grasp, fix, put back, without other intervention), electroacupuncture group (YA, electroacupuncture intervention), exercise group (YE, exercise intervention) and electroacupuncture+exercise group (YEA, electroacupuncture combined with exercise intervention). SD rats were continuously intervened from 12 months to 18 months of age. At the end of the experiment, the conditions of naturally aging rats in each group were observed:skeletal muscle wet weight / weight ratio;HE staining morphology of soleus muscle under light microscope; qPCR was used to detect the expression level of IGF-I mRNA in skeletal muscle;the expression of AKT, mTOR, p70S6K and p-p70S6K proteins in rat gastrocnemius was determined by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#In 18-month-old rats, the intervention period was 6 months. (1) Compared with YC group, YA group and YEA group significantly increased the wet weight / body weight ratio of gastrocnemius muscle in 18 months old rats. YEA group could significantly increase the wet weight / body weight ratio of soleus muscle compared with YC group YC group and YA group (@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture combined with aerobic exercise can attenuate sarocopenia in 18-month-old naturally aging rats. The molecular mechanism may be related to the promotion of protein synthesis by activating the IGF-I / Akt pathway.

Can acupuncture therapy reduce preoperative anxiety? A systematic review and meta-analysis / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Acupuncture therapy has shown promise for effectively relieving preoperative anxiety. Nevertheless, previous findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are inconsistent and must be examined in detail.@*OBJECTIVE@#This study systematically evaluates the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for preoperative anxiety as well as the quality of evidence supporting this application.@*SEARCH STRATEGY@#The China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Data Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chongqing VIP, Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Library Databases were queried from their inception to 19, February 2020, using keywords such as "acupuncture therapy," "preoperative" and "anxioty." Manual searches expanded the search breadth and included conference abstracts and other reference lists.@*INCLUSION CRITERIA@#RCTs were included in the current study if they contained a comparison between a group of anxiety patients that received acupuncture therapy and a control group that received sham acupuncture.@*DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS@#Literature was reviewed, and various articles were selected using the NoteExpress 3.2.0 software. Two researchers independently screened and extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies. The RevMan 5.3 software was used for data aggregation and the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment was used to evaluate the quality of the study outcomes.@*RESULTS@#Twelve studies were included in the review, containing a total of 916 patients. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with the control group, patients who received acupuncture therapy had reduced State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale (STAI-S) score (mean difference [MD] = -9.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-13.19 to -4.96], P < 0.0001) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score (MD = -1.37, 95% CI [-2.29 to -0.45], P = 0.003). However, for the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, there was no difference between the two groups (MD = -3.98, 95% CI [-12.89 to 4.92], P = 0.38). Further, the GRADE assessment demonstrated that the STAI-S was of moderate quality, the VAS of low quality and the HAMA of very low quality.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture therapy may be able to decrease anxiety in preoperative patients, but the results need to be further verified due to the small sample sizes and the low quality of evidence to date.

Research progress on chemical compositions and pharmacological action of Drynariae Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

Drynariae Rhizoma is warm in nature and bitter in taste, mainly acting on liver and kidney systems. It is a common Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of fracture and bone injury. The chemical compositions of Drynariae Rhizoma mainly include flavonoids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoids and lignans. At present, modern pharmacological and clinical studies have shown that Drynariae Rhizoma has the effects of anti osteoporosis, promoting fracture healing, kidney protection, anti-inflammatory, promoting tooth growth, preventing and treating aminoglycoside ototoxicity and lowering blood lipid. In addition, the toxicity evaluation experiment of Drynariae Rhizoma has also shown that it has no obvious toxic and side effects. Naringin is a kind of dihydroflavone in Drynariae Rhizoma. Many studies have shown that naringin and other total flavonoids play an important role in anti-osteoporosis, promoting fracture healing, anti-inflammation, promoting tooth growth and lowering blood lipid. In this study, the research progresses on chemical consti-tuents and pharmacological activities of Drynariae Rhizoma in recent years were reviewed, and some mechanisms of action were summarized, to provide references for the further research and development of Drynariae Rhizoma.

Chemical constituents of Psidium guajava and their antitumor and antifungal activities / 中国中药杂志

Twenty-six compounds, including sixteen meroterpenoids(1-16), a triterpenoid(17), four terpenoid derivatives(18-21), and five aromatic compounds(22-26), were isolated from the leaves of Psidium guajava. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analyses including NMR and MS. Compounds 21-26 were obtained from plants of Psidium for the first time. Based on the structure,(R)-2-ethylhexyl 2H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylate(24 a), an α-glucosidase inhibitor recently isolated from Paramignya trimera, should be revised as compound 24. Meroterpenoids 1-16 were evaluated for their antitumor and antifungal activities. Meroterpenoids psiguajadial D(4), guapsidial A(5), 4,5-diepipsidial A(7), guadial A(14), and guadial B(15) showed cytotoxicities against five human tumor cell lines(HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW-480), among which 5 was the most effective with an IC_(50) of 3.21-9.94 μmol·L~(-1).

Mechanism of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex in treatment of peptic ulcer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(Houpo) can treat peptic ulcer disease(PUD), the mechanism of which remains unclear. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking were employed to predict the mechanism of Houpo in the treatment of PUD. Through literature review and TCMSP screening, 15 main active ingredients were obtained. The SwissTargetPrediction database was used to predict the potential targets of the ingredients, and Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), DrugBank, and Human Phenotype Ontology(HPO) to screen the disease-related targets. A total of 49 potential targets were obtained by the intersection of active ingre-dients-related targets and disease-related targets. Cytoscape 3.6.1 was employed to construct the protein-protein interaction network for the targets with high confidence(score>0.700) screened out by STRING. The DAVID database was used for GO and KEGG pathway enrichment of potential targets. GO enrichment analysis showed that the treatment mechanism was mostly related to nuclear receptor activity, ligand-activated transcription factor activity, and G protein-coupled acetylcholine receptor activity. KEGG enrichment analysis found that Houpo could regulate material metabolism, endocrine system, p53 signaling pathway, and PPAR signaling pathway. Molecu-lar docking verified that all 15 ingredients had good binding activities with key targets(CHRM1, CHRM2, FABP1, mTOR, and STAT3). The results mean that Houpo can treat PUD by participating in cell metabolism, inhibiting inflammatory cytokines, and regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Bavachin enhances NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by ATP or nigericin and causes idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity / 医学前沿

Psoraleae Fructus (PF) is a well-known traditional herbal medicine in China, and it is widely used for osteoporosis, vitiligo, and other diseases in clinical settings. However, liver injury caused by PF and its preparations has been frequently reported in recent years. Our previous studies have demonstrated that PF could cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI), but the mechanism underlying its hepatotoxicity remains unclear. This paper reports that bavachin isolated from PF enhances the specific stimuli-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and leads to hepatotoxicity. Bavachin boosts the secretion of IL-1β and caspase-1 caused by ATP or nigericin but not those induced by poly(I:C), monosodium urate crystal, or intracellular lipopolysaccharide. Bavachin does not affect AIM2 or NLRC4 inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, bavachin specifically increases the production of nigericin-induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species among the most important upstream events in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Bavachin increases the levels of aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase in serum and hepatocyte injury accompanied by the secretion of IL-1β via a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-mediated susceptibility to IDILI. These results suggest that bavachin specifically enhances the ATP- or nigericin-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Bavachin also potentially contributes to PF-induced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity. Moreover, bavachin and PF should be evaded among patients with diseases linked to the ATP- or nigericin-mediated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which may be a dangerous factor for liver injury.