Paeoniflorin promotes PPARγ expression to suppress HSCs activation by inhibiting EZH2-mediated histone H3K27 trimethylation.

BACKGROUND: The alleviating effect of paeoniflorin (Pae) on liver fibrosis has been established; however, the molecular mechanism and specific target(s) underlying this effect remain elusive. PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of Pae on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation in liver fibrosis, with a specific focus on the role of Pae in modulating histone methylation modifications. METHODS: The therapeutic effect of Pae was evaluated by establishing in vivo and in vitro models of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced mice and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1)-induced LX-2 cells, respectively. Molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative real time PCR (ChIP-qPCR) and other molecular biological methods were used to clarify the molecular mechanism of Pae regulating HSCs activation. RESULTS: Our study found that Pae inhibited HSCs activation and histone trimethylation modification in liver of CCl4-induced mice and LX-2 cells. We demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of Pae on the activation of HSCs was dependent on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). Mechanistically, Pae directly binded to EZH2 to effectively suppress its enzymatic activity. This attenuation leaded to the suppression of histone H3K27 trimethylation in the PPARγ promoter region, which induced upregulation of PPARγ expression. CONCLUSION: This investigative not only sheds new light on the precise targets that underlie the remission of hepatic fibrogenesis induced by Pae but also emphasizes the critical significance of EZH2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation in driving the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis.

Si-Ni-San inhibits hepatic Fasn expression and lipid accumulation in MAFLD mice through AMPK/p300/SREBP-1c axis.

BACKGROUND: Soothing the liver and regulating qi is one of the core ideas of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of fatty liver. Si-Ni-San (SNS) is a well-known herbal formula in TCM for liver soothing and qi regulation in fatty liver treatment. However, its efficacy lacks modern scientific evidence. PURPOSE: This study was aimed to investigate the impact of SNS on metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in mice and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, particularly its effects on lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. METHODS: The therapeutic effect of SNS was evaluated using in vivo and in vitro models of high-fat/high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet-induced mice and palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatocytes, respectively. Molecular biological techniques such as RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), and western blotting were employed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of SNS in regulating lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that SNS effectively reduced lipid accumulation in the livers of HFHC diet-induced mice and PA-induced hepatocytes. RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that SNS significantly down-regulated the expression of fatty acid synthase (Fasn) in the livers of HFHC-fed mice. Mechanistically, SNS inhibited Fasn expression and lipid accumulation by activating adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Activation of AMPK suppressed the activity of the transcriptional coactivator p300 and modulated the protein stability of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). Importantly, p300 was required for the inhibition of Fasn expression and lipid accumulation by SNS. Furthermore, SNS activated AMPK by decreasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: This study provided novel evidence on the regulatory mechanisms underlying the effects of SNS on Fasn expression. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that SNS exerts suppressive effects on Fasn expression through modulation of the AMPK/p300/SREBP-1c axis. Consequently, this regulatory pathway mitigates excessive lipid accumulation and ameliorates MAFLD in mice.

Essential oil extracted from Quzhou Aurantii Fructus prevents acute liver failure through inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammatory response.

Quzhou Aurantii Fructus (QAF) has a long history as a folk medicine and food for the treatment of liver diseases. While our earlier study provided evidence of hepatoprotective properties contained within the flavonoids and limonins constituents in QAF, the potential preventative effects afforded by essential oil components present within QAF remains enigmatic. In this study, we prepared Quzhou Aurantii Fructus essential oil (QAFEO) and confirmed its anti-inflammatory effects on liver inflammation through experimentation on lipopolysaccharide and D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN) induced acute liver failure (ALF) mouse models. Using RNA-sequence (RNA-seq) analysis, we found that QAFEO prevented ALF by systematically blunting the pathways involved in response to LPS and toll-like receptor signaling pathways. QAFEO effectively suppressed the phosphorylation of tank-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), TGF-beta activated kinase 1 (TAK1), interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), and the activation of mitogen activated kinase-like protein (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathways in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, QAFEO substantially reduced myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88)- toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) interaction levels. Moreover, 8 compounds from QAFEO could directly bind to REAL, TAK1, MyD88, TBK1, and IRF3. Taken together, the results of our study support the notion that QAFEO exerts a hepatoprotective effect through inhibiting LPS-mediated inflammatory response.

[Meroterpenoids from Rhododendron nivale].

To elucidate the chemical material basis of Rhododendron nivale, this study comprehensively used various chromatographic techniques to isolate and obtain five new meroterpenoid enantiomers(1a/1b-5a/5b) from the ethyl acetate extract of R. nivale. A variety of spectral analytical methods, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(NMR), and infrared(IR) spectrum, were used to evaluate the structure, combined with the measurement and calculation of electronic circular dichroism(ECD). The new compounds 1a/1b-4a/4b were named as(±)-nivalones A-B(1a/1b-2a/2b) and(±)-nivalnoids C-D(3a/3b-4a/4b), along with one known enantiomer(±)-anthoponoid G(5a/5b). Human neuroblastoma cells(SH-SY5Y cells) induced by hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) were used as oxidative stress models to evaluate the protective activity of the isolated compounds against oxidative damage to nerve cells. It was found that compounds 2a and 3a had a certain protective effect on nerve cells against H_2O_2-induced oxidative damage at concentrations of 50 µmol·L~(-1), which increased the cell survival rate from 44.02%±2.30% to 67.82%±1.12% and 62.20%±1.87%, respectively. Other compounds did not show a significant ability to protect cells from oxidative damage. These findings enrich the chemical constituents of R. nivale and provide valuable information for identifying the structure of its meroterpenoids.

Development of a highly sensitive immunoassay for detecting aminopyrine abuse in herbal tea.

With the popularity of herbal tea in China, many food fraudsters have added illegal drugs to herbal tea to enhance its functions, among which aminopyrine is widely abused as an antipyretic and analgesic. Presently, there is no immunoassays for aminopyrine, and it is difficult to achieve real-time detection in the field. Based on a polyclonal antibody of aminopyrine with high specificity and sensitivity, an optimal combination of coating antigen/antibody was obtained by screening different coating antigens. On this basis, a sensitive ic-ELISA method was established to detect aminopyrine in herbal tea. The detection limit of the ic-ELISA was 0.18 ng mL-1, which was much lower than the 100 ng mL-1 required as a standard. The method had good consistency with LC-MS in the detection of actual samples and could be used as a reliable method for the detection of aminopyrine in herbal tea.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and quality control methods of Succus Bambusae].

Through the investigation of a large number of both domestic and overseas literatures and related quality standards, chemical compositions, quality evaluation system and quality control methods of Succus Bambusae were systematic summarized in this study. There were abundant chemical constituents in Succus Bambusae, mainly including volatile ingredients, amino acids, flavonoids, trace elements and vitamins, with high medicinal and edible value. The quality control methods involved traditional morphological identification, spectroscopy, chromatography and other techniques. However, the current quality standards of Succus Bambusae are relatively low, lacking safety indicators, and cannot effectively ensure its quality, seriously affecting the safety and effectiveness of its clinical use. Therefore, it is particularly important to establish a set of highly sensitive and specific quality evaluation system for Succus Bambusae. In this paper, the current research status of the chemical compositions and quality standards of Succus Bambusae were reviewed, with the purpose of providing a basis for further improvement of its quality evaluation system.

[Acupuncture adjuvant treatment for dysphagia in patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on swallowing function and nutritional status of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) dysphagia. METHODS: A total of 56 patients with PD dysphagia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 28 cases in each one. Both groups were given conventional treatment and swallowing function rehabilitation training.On the basis, the observation group was treated with acupuncture (filiform needling and tongue picking acupuncture). The acupoints of filiform needling were Lianquan (CV 23), Shanglianquan (Extra), Yifeng (TE 17), etc.; and the tongue picking acupuncture was applied at Jinjin (EX-HN 12), Yuye (EX-HN 13) and posterior pharyngeal wall. Rehabilitation training and acupuncture were performed once a day for 5 consecutive days a week, 2 weeks as a course of treatment, 3 courses in total. The swallowing function [oral transit time (OTT), swallowing response time (SRT), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), laryngeal closure duration (LCD)] and nutritional indexes [body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), serum prealbumin (PA), hemoglobin (Hb)] in the two groups were evaluated before and after treatment, and the clinical effects were compared. RESULTS: After treatment, the paste and liquid OTT, SRT, PTT, LCD in the two groups were shorter than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the observation group was shorter than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the nutritional indexes (BMI, ALB, PA, Hb) in the two groups were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the observation group was higher than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 92.9% (26/28), which was better than 67.9% (19/28) of the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture-assisted rehabilitation training can improve the swallowing function and nutritional status in patients with Parkinson's disease swallowing disorders.

[Ingredients changes in Rehmanniae Radix processing based by HPLC-ELSD specific chromatogram].

To establish the HPLC-ELSD specific chromatogram analysis method of Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Prae-parata, and analyze and compare their chemical compositions, so as to reveal the change regularity of compositions during the proces-sing. By HPLC-ELSD method, the chromatographic column for Prevail Carbohydrate ES(4.6 mm ×250 mm, 5 µm) was adopted, with acetonitrile(A)-water(B) as mobile phase for gradient elution, and the evaporative light-scattering detector was used. A total of 23 batches of Rehmannia Radix samples, and 25 batches of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata samples and processing dynamic samples were compared. The established method had a great repeatability, precision and stability. Eight common chromatographic peaks were extracted from 23 batches of Rehmanniae Radix samples, 8 common peaks were extracted from 25 Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, and 7 chromatographic peaks were identified. The composition ratio of Rehmannia Radix was changed greatly during the processing. When the simila-rity≥0.95 and the fructose peak area was more than 2 times of stachyose tetrahydrate or more than 20 times of raffinose, the processing degree conformed to the requirements of empirical identification. The three main oligosaccharides of Rehmanniae Radix were sucrose that was heated to generate fructose and glucose, stachyose tetrahydrate that was heated to generate melibiose, sucrose and fructose, and stachyose tetrahydrate that was heated to generate manninotriose. The change in the index of proportion between monosaccharides and oligosaccharides can be used as the quantitative criterion for the processing quality of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata.

Cryptotanshinone protects dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental ulcerative colitis in mice by inhibiting intestinal inflammation.

The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) is increasing in recent years. The protective effect of cryptotanshinone, a natural compound from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, on UC was investigated both in vivo and in vitro models. UC model was established by dextran sulfate sodium administration in drinking water and cryptotanshinone was orally administrated. RAW264.7 cells were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without cryptotanshinone pretreatment. The body weights and disease activity index (DAI) were recorded. The pathological alterations were evaluated by H&E staining. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colon tissues and cell culture medium were determined with enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The protein expression was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results showed that cryptotanshinone significantly increased the body weight and colon length, reduced the score of DAI, and improved pathological changes. Furthermore, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, receptor-interacting protein kinase 3, NF-κB p65 and the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6 in colon tissues and LPS-stimulated cells were significantly inhibited by cryptotanshinone. Besides, cryptotanshinone significantly inhibited LPS-triggered toll-like receptor 4 luciferase reporter activity with an IC50 at 7.2 µM. In conclusion, cryptotanshinone ameliorated experimental UC possibly by inhibiting intestinal inflammation.

Preventive effects of a natural anti-inflammatory agent Salvianolic acid A on acute kidney injury in mice.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an abrupt loss of kidney function with high mortality. Inflammatory is considered driving the progression of AKI. Salvianolic acid A (SA), one of the major ingredients of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, displays plenty of biological effects. Herein, the effect of SA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced AKI in mice and further related mechanism in inflammatory cells were explored. In vivo experiments demonstrated that SA significantly ameliorated LPS-challenged AKI by preventing glomerulus atrophy and decreasing plasma creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. Meanwhile, SA significantly decreased the release of serum inflammatory cytokines and blocked macrophage infiltration in damaged renal tissue. In in vitro studies, SA significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 release levels and altered the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in LPS-stimulated macrophages, which were consistent with the results from in vivo experiments. Furthermore, SA that bound to Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) was able to reduce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in response to LPS stimulation. All silence of TLR4 gene, ROS scavenger and Ca2+ chelator decreased inflammatory cytokines releases. Taken together, SA could be used as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing AKI by suppressing inflammatory responses.

Ingredients changes in Rehmanniae Radix processing based by HPLC-ELSD specific chromatogram / 中国中药杂志

To establish the HPLC-ELSD specific chromatogram analysis method of Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Prae-parata, and analyze and compare their chemical compositions, so as to reveal the change regularity of compositions during the proces-sing. By HPLC-ELSD method, the chromatographic column for Prevail Carbohydrate ES(4.6 mm ×250 mm, 5 μm) was adopted, with acetonitrile(A)-water(B) as mobile phase for gradient elution, and the evaporative light-scattering detector was used. A total of 23 batches of Rehmannia Radix samples, and 25 batches of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata samples and processing dynamic samples were compared. The established method had a great repeatability, precision and stability. Eight common chromatographic peaks were extracted from 23 batches of Rehmanniae Radix samples, 8 common peaks were extracted from 25 Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, and 7 chromatographic peaks were identified. The composition ratio of Rehmannia Radix was changed greatly during the processing. When the simila-rity≥0.95 and the fructose peak area was more than 2 times of stachyose tetrahydrate or more than 20 times of raffinose, the processing degree conformed to the requirements of empirical identification. The three main oligosaccharides of Rehmanniae Radix were sucrose that was heated to generate fructose and glucose, stachyose tetrahydrate that was heated to generate melibiose, sucrose and fructose, and stachyose tetrahydrate that was heated to generate manninotriose. The change in the index of proportion between monosaccharides and oligosaccharides can be used as the quantitative criterion for the processing quality of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata.

Structural characterization and in vitro-in vivo evaluation of effect of a polysaccharide from Sanguisorba officinalis on acute kidney injury.

We report here an acidic polysaccharide, namely RSP-3, which ameliorates acute kidney injury and is obtained from Sanguisorba officinalis. We extracted and purified two polysaccharides from this herb based on the acidity and screened them for their effect in regulating the immunological activity of macrophages. Among them, RSP-3 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages by decreasing TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Subsequently, we found that RSP-3 suppressed ER stress, reduced ROS production and blocked NF-κBp65 translocation. After fully characterizing RSP-3 with a series of analytical technologies, we tested its anti-acute kidney injury (AKI) effect in vivo. In a murine AKI model induced by LPS, treatment with RSP-3 effectively ameliorated renal function. Besides, it decreased the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum and reduced macrophage infiltration in injured kidney tissue. In sum, RSP-3, with a significant protective effect against AKI by showing anti-inflammatory activity, may become a meaningful drug candidate for treatment of AKI.

[Study on original plant species and geographical distribution of Fructus Aurantii].

The original plant species of Fructus Aurantii are multitudinous and complex, and their requirements to the growing environment is strict. In order to clarify the original plant species and geographical distribution of Fructus Aurantii which recorded in the standards and circulated, used in commodity. The national and local standards of Chinese medicinal materials were collected and the original plants of Fructus Aurantii recoded in standards were found. Ten original plant species of Fructus Aurantii (including varieties of cultivars, the same below) were recorded in the Chinese pharmacopoeia and six local standards of Zhejiang, Yunnan and Guizhou etc. The producing areas and commodity in markets of Fructus Aurantii were investigated. The growth environment and geographical distribution of them were analyzed. There are six types of Fructus Aurantii i.e., Fructus Aurantii Chuan, Fructus Aurantii Xiang, Fructus Aurantii Jiang, Fructus Aurantii Qu, Fructus Aurantii Su, Fructus Aurantii Wen, and nineteen species of original plants in the practical commodities. There are four major Fructus Aurantii producing areas: Sichuan Basin, Dongting Lake Plain, Poyang Lake Plain, Jinqu Basin and its surrounding hilly areas. All of them are located in the area of the east longitude 104° to 121° and the northern latitudes 27° to 31°. There is a certain difference between the actual commodity and the standards of medicinal materials. It is suggested that the traditional mainstream types of Fructus Aurantii with fine quality should be accepted into Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the types with poor quality should be withdrawn from Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

[Effects of different fertilization regimes on nitrogen and phosphorus balance and eco-economic benefits in red paddy field.] / 不同施肥措施对红壤稻田氮磷平衡及生态经济效益的影响.

The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balance was studied and the eco-economic benefits of N and P were evaluated for the paddy field in a red soil area, under the fertilization treatments of no fertilization (CK), chemical fertilizer (NPK), organic fertilizer (M), and chemical fertilizers combined with organic fertilizers (NPKM, NPM, NKM), based on the long-term experiment started in 1982, to optimize fertilizer application and reduce N and P losses. The results indicated that the slight N surplus (27.10 kg·hm-2) and P deficit (-6.85 kg·hm-2) were obtained in CK, while the N and P surplus respectively with 110.94-243.98 kg·hm-2 and 19.06-67.49 kg·hm-2 in other treatments were obtained. The treatments NPK and M had no effects on the N and P balance. Under the same fertilization rates, the N surplus in treatment NPKM was lower than that in treatments NPM and NKM by 6.3% and 12.9%, while the P surplus was lower by 3.7% and 13.8%, respectively. The total-N, total-P, alkali-hydrolyzable N, and available P contents in the 0-20 cm soil layer increased under the treatments of NPKM. Comparatively, the available P contents were relatively higher in the 20-40 cm soil layer under the treatments of high P application rates. Furthermore, the NPKM treatment had the highest eco-economic benefit value of 0.762, which indicated the optimized fertilizer application for the paddy fields in the red soil area. The treatment CK had the lowest eco-economic benefit values with 0.560. Based on the observations, the N and P (in P2O5) fertilization respectively at the rates of 157.71 kg·hm-2 and 112.18 kg·hm-2 could well maintain the N and P balance for the paddy field in the red soil area.

Study on original plant species and geographical distribution of Fructus Aurantii / 中国中药杂志

The original plant species of Fructus Aurantii are multitudinous and complex, and their requirements to the growing environment is strict. In order to clarify the original plant species and geographical distribution of Fructus Aurantii which recorded in the standards and circulated, used in commodity. The national and local standards of Chinese medicinal materials were collected and the original plants of Fructus Aurantii recoded in standards were found. Ten original plant species of Fructus Aurantii (including varieties of cultivars, the same below) were recorded in the Chinese pharmacopoeia and six local standards of Zhejiang, Yunnan and Guizhou etc. The producing areas and commodity in markets of Fructus Aurantii were investigated. The growth environment and geographical distribution of them were analyzed. There are six types of Fructus Aurantii i.e., Fructus Aurantii Chuan, Fructus Aurantii Xiang, Fructus Aurantii Jiang, Fructus Aurantii Qu, Fructus Aurantii Su, Fructus Aurantii Wen, and nineteen species of original plants in the practical commodities. There are four major Fructus Aurantii producing areas: Sichuan Basin, Dongting Lake Plain, Poyang Lake Plain, Jinqu Basin and its surrounding hilly areas. All of them are located in the area of the east longitude 104° to 121° and the northern latitudes 27° to 31°. There is a certain difference between the actual commodity and the standards of medicinal materials. It is suggested that the traditional mainstream types of Fructus Aurantii with fine quality should be accepted into Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the types with poor quality should be withdrawn from Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Distinguishing the Chinese materia medica Tiepishihu from similar Dendrobium species of the same genus using histological and microscopic method.

The Chinese Materia Medica, Tiepishihu, used as a tonic for over one thousand years, is a well-known precious medicine in China. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, its source is the species Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo, which is distinguished from other species in Dendrobium genus. However, these species from the same genus are similar with Tiepishihu and caused confusion in the market. To find a quick and simple method to distinguish Tiepishihu from other similar species, histologic and microscopic methods were combined together to investigate the transverse section of stem of Tiepishihu and other similar species. Phloroglucinol test solution with hydrochloric acid was used to reveal the lignified tissue by staining the transverse section of Tiepishihu and similar species. Results revealed the unique identification characteristics to distinguish Tiepishihu from similar species, which were difficult to distinguish by other methods. The identification characteristics of Tiepishihu include the cells of vascular bundle sheath were stained red, parenchyma cells were not stained red. What's more, other species can be distinguished from each other with microscopic and histological characteristics. These characteristics proved stable and can be easily observed by normal light microscopic examination. This method is rapid, accurate, stable, and inexpensive.

[Soil Olsen-P content changing trend and its relationship with phosphorus surplus and crop yield under long-term fertilization in loessial soil region on the Loess Plateau, China]. / é•¿æœŸæ–½è‚¥é»„ç»µåœŸæœ‰æ•ˆç£·å«é‡æ¼”å˜åŠå ¶ä¸Žç£·ç´ å¹³è¡¡å’Œä½œç‰©äº§é‡çš„å ³ç³».

The changing trend of soil available phosphorus (Olsen-P) content in soil and its relationship with soil phosphorus surplus and crop yield are fundamental when making appropriate phosphate fertilizer recommendations. In this paper, the influences of long-term fertilization on crops phosphorus uptake, soil phosphorus surplus, changing trend of soil available phosphorus content and relationships of soil available phosphorus content with soil phosphorus surplus and crop yield were investigated through 34 years (1981-2015) long-term trial in loessial soil region on the Loess Plateau. The experiment had a completely-randomized-block split-plot design in triplicate. Two main-plot treatments were no farmyard manure and farmyard manure (M), and four subplot treatments were CK (no fertilizer), N (application of chemical fertilizer N), NP (application of chemical fertilizer NP) and NPK (balanced application of chemical fertilizer NPK), respectively. The results showed that fertilization treatments and crop types significantly influenced uptake amount of phosphorus and soil phosphorus surplus. Averaged over time from 1981 to 2015, wheat mean phosphorus uptake amounts of CK, N, NP, NPK, M, MN, MNP and MNPK were 8.63, 10.64, 16.22, 16.21, 16.25, 17.83, 20.39 and 20.27 kg·hm-2, while rape phosphorus uptakeamounts of eight treatments were 4.40, 8.38, 15.08, 15.71, 10.52, 11.23, 17.96 and 17.66 kg·hm-2, respectively. The surplus amount of soil phosphorus significantly correlated with the amount of phosphorus applied to soil. When soil phosphorus surplus amount equal zero, wheat and rape phosphorus input amounts were 10.47 kg·hm-2 and 6.97 kg·hm-2, respectively. Soil phosphorus surplus amount significantly influenced the changing trend of available phosphorus content in soil. CK and N treatments had no phosphorus input, and soil available phosphorus content exhibited a declining trend, annually decreased by 0.16 mg·kg-1 and 0.15 mg·kg-1, respectively. In contrast, NP, NPK, M, MN, MNP and MNPK six treatments were applied with phosphate fertilizer every years, and available phosphorus content gradually increased along with the duration of trial, with annual increase by 0.02-0.33 mg·kg-1. Soil available phosphorus content significantly correlated with phosphorus accumulative surplus amount, and the linear models were y=0.012x+9.33 and y=0.009x+11.72 in manure and no manure treatments, respectively. In no manure treatments, wheat yields significantly positively correlated with soil available phosphorus content, however, in manure treatments, their relationships did not reach a significant level. The relationship of wheat grain yield with available phosphorus content could be significantly fitted by piecewise linear model, and available phosphorus agronomy threshold of wheat was 14.99 mg·kg-1. Rape grain yield also increased with increasing soil available phosphorus content, but the relationship was not significant. This indicated when soil available P content is higher than 14.99 mg·kg -1, application of phosphate fertili-zer should be reduced or even avoided for planting wheat in loessial soil region on the Loess Plateau.

Human enteroids as an ex-vivo model of host-pathogen interactions in the gastrointestinal tract.

Currently, 9 out of 10 experimental drugs fail in clinical studies. This has caused a 40% plunge in the number of drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2005. It has been suggested that the mechanistic differences between human diseases modeled in animals (mostly rodents) and the pathophysiology of human diseases might be one of the critical factors that contribute to drug failure in clinical trials. Rapid progress in the field of human stem cell technology has allowed the in-vitro recreation of human tissue that should complement and expand upon the limitations of cell and animal models currently used to study human diseases and drug toxicity. Recent success in the identification and isolation of human intestinal epithelial stem cells (Lgr5(+)) from the small intestine and colon has led to culture of functional intestinal epithelial units termed organoids or enteroids. Intestinal enteroids are comprised of all four types of normal epithelial cells and develop a crypt-villus differentiation axis. They demonstrate major intestinal physiologic functions, including Na(+) absorption and Cl(-) secretion. This review discusses the recent progress in establishing human enteroids as a model of infectious diarrheal diseases such as cholera, rotavirus, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, and use of the enteroids to determine ways to correct the diarrhea-induced ion transport abnormalities via drug therapy.

[Fingerprint analysis of Fritillaria thunbergii using rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry].

A fingerprint method for quality assessment of Fritillaria thunbergii was developed by rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-Q-TOF-MS). The separation was performed using Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.8 microm) by gradient elution with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (containing 10 mmol x L(-1) ammonium formate) as the mobile phase. Q-TOF-MS was used to obtain the accurate mass for precursor and product ions. Under this chromatographic and MS condition, 12 batches of F. thunbergii and its adulterants (F. hupehensis and F. pallidiflora) were analyzed by RRLC-Q-TOF-MS. Fifteen steroidal alkaloids were identified from F. thunbergii, F. hupehensis and F. pallidiflora and nine were assigned as the common characteristic peaks for F. thunbergii. The RRLC-Q-TOF-MS fingerprint of F. thunbergii was different significantly with those of F. hupehensis and F. pallidiflora. The quality of 12 batches of F. thunbergii samples were finally evaluated by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principle component analysis (PCA). This convenient and high specific method could be used to identify and evaluate the quality of the F. thunbergii.

Fingerprint analysis of Fritillaria thunbergii using rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry / 中国中药杂志

A fingerprint method for quality assessment of Fritillaria thunbergii was developed by rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-Q-TOF-MS). The separation was performed using Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.8 microm) by gradient elution with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (containing 10 mmol x L(-1) ammonium formate) as the mobile phase. Q-TOF-MS was used to obtain the accurate mass for precursor and product ions. Under this chromatographic and MS condition, 12 batches of F. thunbergii and its adulterants (F. hupehensis and F. pallidiflora) were analyzed by RRLC-Q-TOF-MS. Fifteen steroidal alkaloids were identified from F. thunbergii, F. hupehensis and F. pallidiflora and nine were assigned as the common characteristic peaks for F. thunbergii. The RRLC-Q-TOF-MS fingerprint of F. thunbergii was different significantly with those of F. hupehensis and F. pallidiflora. The quality of 12 batches of F. thunbergii samples were finally evaluated by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principle component analysis (PCA). This convenient and high specific method could be used to identify and evaluate the quality of the F. thunbergii.