Qianjin Wenwu decoction suppresses renal interstitial fibrosis by enhancing the degradation of extracellular matrix in mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction / 中国天然药物

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Qianjin Wenwu decoction (QWD), a well-known traditional Korean medicine, has been used for the treatment of DKD, with satisfactory therapeutic effects. This study was designed to investigate the active components and mechanisms of action of QWD in the treatment of DKD. The results demonstrated that a total of 13 active components in five types were found in QWD, including flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, phenylpropionic acids, saponins, coumarins, and lignins. Two key proteins, TGF-β1 and TIMP-1, were identified as the target proteins through molecular docking. Furthermore, QWD significantly suppressed Scr and BUN levels which increased after unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and Masson staining results demonstrated that QWD significantly alleviated renal interstitial fibrosis in UUO mice. We also found that QWD promoted ECM degradation by regulating MMP-9/TIMP-1 homeostasis to improve renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and interfere with the expression and activity of TGF- β1 in DKD treatment. These findings explain the underlying mechanism of QWD for the treatment of DKD, and also provide methodological reference for investigating the mechanism of traditional medicine in the treatment of DKD.

[Chinese medicine dispensing granules: history, status quo, and development prospect in "post-pilot era"].

Chinese medicine dispensing granules, the result of the efforts to transform Chinese medicinal decoction pieces in China, features portability and ease of storage. Thus, it is destined to be an indispensible dosage form in the modernization drive of Chinese medicine. The Announcement on Ending the Pilot Project of Chinese Medicine Dispensing Granules was released in February 2021 and relevant regulations went into force in November 2021, which marks the a new journey for the development of Chinese medicine dispensing granules and the beginning of the "post-pilot era". However, it faces the challenges in quality and standard. This study reviewed the history of Chinese medicine dispensing granules, analyzed the technical progress, market, and main problems in development, and proposed suggestions and prospects for its development in the "post-pilot era", which is expected to serve as a reference for its industry development and rational use.

Analysis on "the essence of tuina, arrival of qi ensuring curative effect" / 中国针灸

In reference with the systematic review of the thought of deqi (arrival of qi) put forward in Huangdi Neijing (Internal Classic of Yellow Emperor) and other classic books of traditional Chinese medicine, in view of detecting qi and identifying qi before treatment, as well as the prerequisites of deqi in tuina, meaning the accurate syndrome differentiation and manipulations, the importance of deqi in treatment with tuina is expounded. In association with clinical experience, the specific manifestations of deqi in patients during tuina are summarized, e.g. soreness, distention, pain, numbness, warm feeling and slight sweating, local changes in intestinal sound and skin color, as well as mind regulation. It is anticipated that deqi of tuina may be drawn the attention in clinical practice, and the relevant study be expanded.

Establishment and Evaluation of Rat Model of Acute Coronary Syndrome with Combined Blood Stasis and Poison / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo compare the feasibility of establishing the rat model of acute coronary syndrome with combined blood stasis and poison by lipopolysacharide （LPS） injection， ligation of coronary artery and different combinations of the two methods. MethodA total of 225 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， simple coronary artery ligation group， first injected LPS group ［LPS（5 mg·kg）injection 24 h before coronary artery ligation］ and follow injected LPS group ［LPS（5 mg·kg）injection 10 min after coronary artery ligation］. The indexes of each group were detected at 3， 24， 72 h after modeling， and the model was comprehensively evaluated. The general state and macroscopic evaluation indexes of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome （tongue and pulse） of rats in each group were observed. ECG and echocardiography were used to evaluate cardiac function， and the myocardial ischemia and infarction areas were measured by Evans blue/2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. The content of creatine kinase isoenzyme （CK-MB）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， creatine kinase （CK）， and troponin T （cTnT） in serum as well as interleukin-1 β （IL-1β） and IL-6 changes were determined by biochemical method or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Hematology analyzer was adopted to determine the white blood cell （WBC） count， and the four coagulation indexes， platelet aggregation rate， hemorheology and other coagulation evaluation indexes were also detected. The myocardial tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining. ResultAfter 3 h of modeling， compared with the conditions in sham operation group， the R， G and B values of tongue of rats （P<0.01）， pulse amplitude （P<0.01）， and cardiac function in simple coronary artery ligation group were decreased， and the color of hypoglossal veins became purple（P<0.01）. The content of CK， LDH， cTnT， IL-1β and IL-6 in serum（P<0.05）， myocardial infarction area（P<0.01）， and total number of WBCs （P<0.05）were increased. Compared with simple coronary artery ligation group， first injected LPS group and follow injected LPS group had increased hypoglossal veins， decreased R value of tongue and elevated cTnT content （P<0.01）， while follow injected LPS group had reduced B value of tongue， decreased cardiac output （CO）（P<0.05）， increased IL-1β content， and thinned left ventricular anterior walls at end-systole （LVAWs）（P<0.01）. After 24 h of modeling， compared with sham operation group， simple coronary artery ligation group presented significantly decreased R， G and B values of tongue， lengthened purplish dark hypoglossal veins （P<0.01）， reduced pulse amplitude（P<0.01） and cardiac function， enlarged myocardial infarction area（P<0.01）， increased whole blood viscosity， platelet aggregation rate， fibrinogen （FIB）， shortened prothrombin time （PT） and thrombin time （TT）（P<0.01）， and elevated total number of WBCs （P<0.01）and content of CK， LDH， cTnT and IL-6 in serum（P<0.05）. Compared with the conditions in simple coronary artery ligation group， the pulse amplitude， R， G and B values of tongue （P<0.01）， and ejection fraction （EF） and fractional shortening （FS） scores （P<0.05）dropped， and hypoglossal veins were deepened and lengthened（P<0.05）， and cTnT content was increased（P<0.01）in first injected LPS group and follow injected LPS group. However， follow injected LPS group had thinned LVPWs， increased LDH content， platelet aggregation rate（P<0.05）， myocardial infarction area， and total number of WBC， level of IL-1β（P<0.05）， and shortened TT（P<0.01）. Additionally， 72 h after modeling， compared with sham operation group， simple coronary artery ligation group showed significantly reduced pulse amplitude， lowered R， G and B values of tongue， thickened and lengthened hypoglossal veins（P<0.01）， decreased cardiac function， and increased content of cTnT， FIB， whole blood viscosity（P<0.01），platelet aggregation rate， level of IL-6 and IL-1β（P<0.05）. Compared with the conditions in simple coronary artery ligation group， the hypoglossal veins of the first injected LPS group and the follow injected LPS group were more purple， and the content of cTnT was boosted（P<0.01）， whereas follow injected LPS group had decreased pulse amplitude， R， G and B values of tongue， EF and FS scores （P<0.05）， and enlarged myocardial infarction area（P<0.01）. ConclusionCompared with the other modeling methods and models at different modeling time， the established model by LPS injection 10 min after coronary artery ligation for 24 h was more consistent with the clinical characteristics of acute coronary syndrome with combined blood stasis and poison.

Establishment and Evaluation of Rat Model of Acute Coronary Syndrome with Combined Blood Stasis and Poison / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo compare the feasibility of establishing the rat model of acute coronary syndrome with combined blood stasis and poison by lipopolysacharide （LPS） injection， ligation of coronary artery and different combinations of the two methods. MethodA total of 225 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， simple coronary artery ligation group， first injected LPS group ［LPS（5 mg·kg）injection 24 h before coronary artery ligation］ and follow injected LPS group ［LPS（5 mg·kg）injection 10 min after coronary artery ligation］. The indexes of each group were detected at 3， 24， 72 h after modeling， and the model was comprehensively evaluated. The general state and macroscopic evaluation indexes of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome （tongue and pulse） of rats in each group were observed. ECG and echocardiography were used to evaluate cardiac function， and the myocardial ischemia and infarction areas were measured by Evans blue/2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. The content of creatine kinase isoenzyme （CK-MB）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， creatine kinase （CK）， and troponin T （cTnT） in serum as well as interleukin-1 β （IL-1β） and IL-6 changes were determined by biochemical method or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Hematology analyzer was adopted to determine the white blood cell （WBC） count， and the four coagulation indexes， platelet aggregation rate， hemorheology and other coagulation evaluation indexes were also detected. The myocardial tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining. ResultAfter 3 h of modeling， compared with the conditions in sham operation group， the R， G and B values of tongue of rats （P<0.01）， pulse amplitude （P<0.01）， and cardiac function in simple coronary artery ligation group were decreased， and the color of hypoglossal veins became purple（P<0.01）. The content of CK， LDH， cTnT， IL-1β and IL-6 in serum（P<0.05）， myocardial infarction area（P<0.01）， and total number of WBCs （P<0.05）were increased. Compared with simple coronary artery ligation group， first injected LPS group and follow injected LPS group had increased hypoglossal veins， decreased R value of tongue and elevated cTnT content （P<0.01）， while follow injected LPS group had reduced B value of tongue， decreased cardiac output （CO）（P<0.05）， increased IL-1β content， and thinned left ventricular anterior walls at end-systole （LVAWs）（P<0.01）. After 24 h of modeling， compared with sham operation group， simple coronary artery ligation group presented significantly decreased R， G and B values of tongue， lengthened purplish dark hypoglossal veins （P<0.01）， reduced pulse amplitude（P<0.01） and cardiac function， enlarged myocardial infarction area（P<0.01）， increased whole blood viscosity， platelet aggregation rate， fibrinogen （FIB）， shortened prothrombin time （PT） and thrombin time （TT）（P<0.01）， and elevated total number of WBCs （P<0.01）and content of CK， LDH， cTnT and IL-6 in serum（P<0.05）. Compared with the conditions in simple coronary artery ligation group， the pulse amplitude， R， G and B values of tongue （P<0.01）， and ejection fraction （EF） and fractional shortening （FS） scores （P<0.05）dropped， and hypoglossal veins were deepened and lengthened（P<0.05）， and cTnT content was increased（P<0.01）in first injected LPS group and follow injected LPS group. However， follow injected LPS group had thinned LVPWs， increased LDH content， platelet aggregation rate（P<0.05）， myocardial infarction area， and total number of WBC， level of IL-1β（P<0.05）， and shortened TT（P<0.01）. Additionally， 72 h after modeling， compared with sham operation group， simple coronary artery ligation group showed significantly reduced pulse amplitude， lowered R， G and B values of tongue， thickened and lengthened hypoglossal veins（P<0.01）， decreased cardiac function， and increased content of cTnT， FIB， whole blood viscosity（P<0.01），platelet aggregation rate， level of IL-6 and IL-1β（P<0.05）. Compared with the conditions in simple coronary artery ligation group， the hypoglossal veins of the first injected LPS group and the follow injected LPS group were more purple， and the content of cTnT was boosted（P<0.01）， whereas follow injected LPS group had decreased pulse amplitude， R， G and B values of tongue， EF and FS scores （P<0.05）， and enlarged myocardial infarction area（P<0.01）. ConclusionCompared with the other modeling methods and models at different modeling time， the established model by LPS injection 10 min after coronary artery ligation for 24 h was more consistent with the clinical characteristics of acute coronary syndrome with combined blood stasis and poison.

Effects of Qilong Capsules on myocardial fibrosis and insufficient blood circulation in ischemic cardiomyopathy with Qi deficiency and blood stasis / 中国中药杂志

Protective effect of Qilong Capsules(QL) on the myocardial fibrosis and blood circulation of rats with coronary heart disease of Qi deficiency and blood stasis type was investigated. Sleep deprivation and coronary artery ligation were used to construct a disease-symptom combination model, and 60 SD rats were divided into sham operation(sham) group, syndrome(S) group, disease and syndrome(M) group and QL group randomly. The treatment group received administration of QL 0.4 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1). Other groups were given the same amount of normal saline. The disease indexes of each group [left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVESD), left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), left ventricular axis shortening rate(LVFS), myocardial histopathology, platelet morphology, peripheral blood flow] and syndrome indexes(tongue color, pulse, grip power) were detected. In sham group, cardiomyocytes and myocardial fibers were arranged neatly and densely with clear structures. The tongues' color in sham were light red, and the pulse shape were regular. RGB is a parameter reflected the brightness of the image of the tongue. In the S group, the amplitude and frequency of the animal's pulse increased accompanied by decreasing R,G,B, however, the decreased R,G,B was accompanied by reduced pulse amplitude in M group. And in M group, we observed fuzzy cell morphology, hypertrophied myocytes, disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes and myocardial fibers, reduced peripheral blood flow and increased collagen volume fraction(CVF). Increased LVESD and LVEDD, and decreased LVEF and LVFS represented cardiac function in S group was significantly lower than that in sham. In QL group, the tongue's color was red and the pulse was smooth. The myocardial fibers of the QL group were arranged neatly and secreted less collagen. It improved the blood circulation in the sole and tail, and reversed the increasing of LVEDD, LVESD and the decreasing of LVEF and LVFS of M group. Platelets in M and S group showed high reactivity, and QL could decrease aggregation risk. In conclusion, Qilong Capsules has an obvious myocardial protective effect on ischemic cardiomyopathy, which may inhibit the degree of myocardial fibrosis and reduce platelet reactivity.

Saikosaponin A Alleviates Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder through Downregulation of DAT and Enhancing BDNF Expression in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats.

The disturbed dopamine availability and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression are due in part to be associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we investigated the therapeutical effect of saikosaponin a (SSa) isolated from Bupleurum Chinese DC, against spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model of ADHD. Methylphenidate and SSa were orally administered for 3 weeks. Activity was assessed by open-field test and Morris water maze test. Dopamine (DA) and BDNF were determined in specific brain regions. The mRNA or protein expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine transporter (DAT), and vesicles monoamine transporter (VMAT) was also studied. Both MPH and SSa reduced hyperactivity and improved the spatial learning memory deficit in SHRs. An increased DA concentration in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum was also observed after treating with the SSa. The increased DA concentration may partially be attributed to the decreased mRNA and protein expression of DAT in PFC while SSa exhibited no significant effects on the mRNA expression of TH and VMAT in PFC of SHRs. In addition, BDNF expression in SHRs was also increased after treating with SSa or MPH. The obtained result suggested that SSa may be a potential drug for treating ADHD.