Identifying Qingkailing ingredients-dependent mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor-axiation "π" structuring module with angiogenesis and neurogenesis effects.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the functional role of the drug-dependent mesenchymal-epithelial transition (Met)-axiation "π" structural module of neurogenesis after processing by three components of Qingkailing injection in neurogenesis and angiogenesis in cerebral ischemia. METHODS: We used a Glutathione S-transferase (GST)-pull down assay, isothermal titration calorimetry assay, and other related methods to identify the relationships among Met, inositol polyphosphate phosphatase like 1 (Inppl1), and death associated protein kinase 3 (Dapk3) in this allosteric module. The biological effects of the modules of neurons generation composed of Met, Inppl1, and Dapk3 were measured through Western blot, apoptosis analysis, and double immunofluorescence labeling. RESULTS: The GST-pull down assay revealed that proline-serine-threonine rich domain of Met binds to the Src homology domain of Inppl1 to form a protein-protein complex; Dapk3 with a C-terminal domain interacts weakly with the protein kinase C domain of Met in the intracellular region. Thus, we obtained a "π" structuring module considered a neural regeneration module. The biological effects of angiogenesis and neurogenesis modules composed of Met, Inppl1, and Dapk3 were also verified. CONCLUSION: The study suggested that understanding the functional modules that contribute to pharmaceutics might provide novel signatures that can be used as endpoints to define disease processes under stroke or cerebral ischemia conditions.

Precise Clinical Positioning of Chinese Patent Medicine in Paradigm of "Target Spectral Effect of Prescription"： A Case Study of Qizhi Tongluo Capsules / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The clinical value of Chinese patent medicine is the core direction of the development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry. The precise clinical positioning determines the way to prove the value of the drug， and is a key link to highlight the clinical value. This paper presented a case study of clinical positioning for Chinese patent medicine， namely Qizhi Tongluo capsules， and the key technical framework of precise clinical positioning of Chinese patent medicine， which was manifested as a comparison of prescription target spectral effect， discovery of core value of prescription， and confirmation of clinical positioning trial. The technical framework was designed to address a range of issues in the realm of precise clinical positioning. Before the clinical positioning trial， based on the multi-component， multi-target， and multi-phenotype data of prescription and clinical indication， the multi-omics network analysis technology was used to identify the core value of the traditional Chinese medicine varieties and predict the potential clinical advantages. Then， based on the predicted clinical advantages， reasonable efficacy indicators were selected， and the clinical efficacy was judged and verified by dynamic and flexible innovative clinical trials to improve the success rate of clinical positioning. This research paradigm integrates "omics technology" with "evidence-based" principles and follows the "precise evidence-based" concept. This research aims to provide a new strategy and method for the precise medication and positioning of Chinese patent medicine with traditional Chinese medicine characteristics after being put into the market and provide more technical thinking for traditional Chinese medicine to move towards precise medicine.

Study on the regular pattern of "disease-syndrome-medicine" of different diseases with the same treatment for blood stasis syndrome based on complex network similarity analysis / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To reveal the regular pattern characteristics of different diseases with the same treatment in the most common diseases with blood stasis syndrome; To provide reference for the clinical treatment of blood stasis syndrome and the development of new drugs.Methods:RCTs of blood stasis syndrome were retrieved from CNKI, Chongqing VIP, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, and China Medical Journal Full-text Database from the establishment of the databases to December 31, 2022. Diseases, accompanied symptoms, prescriptions and medicines were extracted. The diseases with the highest frequency among the three disease systems with the highest frequency were collected, and their medication characteristics and prescription rules were analyzed using frequency statistics and association rules Apriori algorithm. The core prescriptions of blood stasis syndrome of three kinds of diseases were excavated and their network similarity was analyzed.Results:A total of 2 052 articles were included. Stable coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke and DN were more common diseases with blood stasis syndrome. The common drugs for the three diseases were Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Carthami Flos, Persicae Semen, Angelicae Sinensis Radix. The core prescription of stable coronary heart disease was Persicae Semen- Carthami Flos- Chuanxiong Rhizoma- Angelicae Sinensis Radix- Paeoniae Radix Rubra; the core prescription of ischemic stroke is Buyang Huanwu Decoction; the core prescription of DN was Persicae Semen- Carthami Flos- Chuanxiong Rhizoma- Angelicae Sinensis Radix- Cornus Officinalis- Dioscoreae Rhizoma- Astragali Radix. The similarity between stable coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke core prescription network was 0.35, the similarity between ischemic stroke and DN core prescription network was 0.29, and the similarity between stable coronary heart disease and DN core prescription network was 0.26. Conclusions:The theory of "different diseases with the same treatment" can profoundly guide clinical practice. The core medicines of blood stasis syndrome are Persicae Semen, Carthami Flos, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma. On this basis, combined with different diseases and syndromes to make changes of adding and subtracting.

Post-marketing effectiveness evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine in paradigm based on "proving efficacy, conforming standard, and exploring mechanism":a case study of Danhong Injection / 中国中药杂志

At present, new concepts, new technologies, and new methods are emerging in the field of medical research, breaking through the inherent thinking patterns and research models, and promoting the transformation of the research paradigm of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). This paper gave a case study of clinical research in Danhong Injection in the treatment of chronic stable angina, and based on the background of the study, index evaluation model, experimental design method, blind implementation of placebo, data management system, and exploration of clinical efficacy mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine compounds under the framework of modular pharmacology, the scientific idea of "proving efficacy, conforming standard, and exploring mechanism" was used as the guideline to discuss the research model of reevaluation of the effectiveness of post-marketing TCM varieties. This paper drew a target network map of Danhong Injection in the treatment of chronic stable angina for the first time, which was composed of targeted functional modules. By combining evidence-based clinical research with modular pharmacology framework, changes in the pharmacolo-gical mechanism were finally associated with changes in clinical efficacy, and the advantages of phenotypic correlation of efficacy were explored. This study is expected to provide references for the post-marketing effectiveness evaluation and new ideas for the phenotypic pharmacological mechanism study of multi-target TCM compounds and precise treatment, thereby promoting the innovative development of TCM.

Tensor decomposition: new strategy for deciphering mechanism of precision medicine for same treatment of different diseases / 中国中药杂志

The aging society has led to a substantial increase in the number of clinical comorbidities. To meet the needs of comorbidity treatment, polypharmacy is widely used in clinical practice. However, polypharmacy has drawbacks such as treatment conflict. Same treatment of different diseases refers to treating different diseases with same treatment. Therefore, the principle of same treatment of different diseases can alleviate the problems caused by polypharmacy. Under the research background of precision medicine, it becomes possible to explore the mechanism of same treatment of different diseases and achieve its clinical application. However, drugs successfully developed in the past have revealed shortcomings in clinical use. To better interpret the mechanism of precision medicine for same treatment of different diseases, under the multi-dimensional attributes including dynamic space and time, omics was performed, and a new strategy of tensor decomposition was proposed. With the characteristics of complete data, tensor decomposition is advantageous in data mining and can fully grasp the connotation of precision treatment of different diseases with same treatment under dynamic spatiotemporal changes. This method is used for drug repositioning in some biocomputations. By taking advantage of the dimensionality reduction of tensor decomposition and integrating the dual influences of time and space, this study achieved accurate target prediction of same treatment of different diseases at each stage, and discovered the mechanism of precision medicine of same treatment for different diseases, providing scientific support for precision prescription and treatment of different diseases with same treatment in clinical practice. This study thus conducted preliminary exploration of the pharmacological mechanism of precision Chinese medicine treatment.

Mechanism of n-butanol alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction in treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis based on negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome via PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of n-butanol alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction(BAEB) in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) in mice based on the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome via PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis. In the experiment, female C57BL/6 mice were divided randomly into the following six groups: a blank control group, a VVC model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose BAEB groups(80, 40, and 20 mg·kg~(-1)), and a fluconazole group(20 mg·kg~(-1)). The VVC model was induced in mice except for those in the blank control group by the estrogen dependence method. After modeling, no treatment was carried out in the blank control group. The mice in the high-, medium-, and low-dose BAEB groups were treated with BAEB at 80, 40, and 20 mg·kg~(-1), respectively, and those in the fluconazole group were treated with fluconazole at 20 mg·kg~(-1). The mice in the VVC model group received the same volume of normal saline. The general state and body weight of mice in each group were observed every day, and the morphological changes of Candida albicans in the vaginal lavage of mice were examined by Gram staining. The fungal load in the vaginal lavage of mice was detected by microdilution assay. After the mice were killed, the degree of neutrophil infiltration in the vaginal lavage was detected by Papanicolaou staining. The content of inflammatory cytokines interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-18, and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in the vaginal lavage was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and vaginal histopathology was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The expression and distribution of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues were measured by immunohistochemistry(IHC), and the expression and distribution of pNLRC4 and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues were detected by immunofluorescence(IF). The protein expression of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra was detected by Western blot(WB), and the mRNA expression of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra was detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed redness, edema, and white secretions in the vagina. Compared with the VVC model group, the BAEB groups showed improved general state of VVC mice. As revealed by Gram staining, Papanicolaou staining, microdilution assay, and HE staining, compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed a large number of hyphae, neutrophils infiltration, and increased fungal load in the vaginal lavage, destroyed vaginal mucosa, and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells. BAEB could reduce the transformation of C. albicans from yeast to hyphae. High-dose BAEB could significantly reduce neutrophil infiltration and fungal load. Low-and medium-dose BAEB could reduce the da-mage to the vaginal tissue, while high-dose BAEB could restore the damaged vaginal tissues to normal levels. ELISA results showed that the content of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, and LDH in the VVC model group significantly increased compared with that in the blank control group, and the content of IL-1β, IL-18 and LDH in the medium-and high-dose BAEB groups was significantly reduced compared with that in the VVC model group. WB and qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed reduced protein and mRNA expression of PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues of mice and increased protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3. Compared with the VVC model group, the medium-and high-dose BAEB groups showed up-regulated protein and mRNA expression of PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues and inhibited protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3 in vaginal tissues. This study indicated that the therapeutic effect of BAEB on VVC mice was presumably related to the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome by promoting PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis.

Three oral Chinese patent medicines for children with tic disorder: a rapid health technology assessment / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the clinical value of Shaoma Zhijing Granules(SZG), Changma Xifeng Tablets(CXT), and Jiuwei Xifeng Granules(JXG) in the treatment of children with tic disorder with the method of rapid health technology assessment(RHTA), which is expected to serve as a reference for medical and health decision-making and clinical rational use of drugs in children. To be specific, relevant articles were retrieved from eight databases and three clinical trial registry platforms. After the quality evaluation, rapid assessment was carried out from the dimensions of disease burden and unmet needs, technical characteristics, safety, efficacy and economy, and the results were analyzed and presented descriptively. A total of 22 articles(1 in English, 21 in Chinese) were screened out: 18 randomized controlled trials(RCTs) and 4 clinical controlled trials(CCTs). Among them, 5 were about the SZG(all RCTs) and 9 were on CXT(6 RCTs and 3 CCTs). The rest 8 focused on JXG(7 RCTs and 1 CCT). Moreover, the overall risk of bias for 94.40% RCTs was evaluated as "some concerns" and only one(5.60%) had high risk of bias. In terms of quality, the 4 CCTs scored 5-6 points(<7 points), suggesting low quality. SZG alone or in combination with tiapride has obvious advantages in improving traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and tic symptoms compared with tiapride alone, with the average daily cost of CNY 79.44-119.16. Compared with conventional western medicine or placebo, CXT alone or in combination with conventional western medicine can improve the total effective rate and alleviate tic symptoms, and the average daily cost is CNY 22.50-67.50. JXG alone or in combination with conventional western medicine can effectively relieve tic symptoms compared with conventio-nal western medicine or placebo, with the average daily cost of CNY 82.42-164.85. The adverse events related to the three Chinese patent medicines mainly occurred in the digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems, all of which were mild. In general, SZG, CXT, and JXG are effective for children with tic disorder. They have been approved to be used in this field, of which SZG was approved in 2019, with the most up-to-date research evidence and high-quality RCT in Q1 journals. However, the comparative analysis of the three was affected by many factors, which should be further clarified. Based on the large sample data available in multiple dimensions, a comprehensive comparative evaluation of the three Chinese patent medicines should be carried out, thereby highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of them and serving a reference for rational clinical use and drug supervision.

Originality and innovation of disciplinary development of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Adhering to Chinese culture and philosophy, the development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) should be cooperative and open. TCM should learn from the achievements of ancient and modern scientific and technological civilization in human history and promote cultural exchange. TCM advocates unity, harmony, and interaction, and keeps going in a new information and digital era with Big Science and Extensive Health. The disciplinary development of TCM should embrace inheritance and innovation, and explore the scientific research and transformation of clinical experience. The dual attributes of science and humanity of TCM should be followed. In terms of education, "reading classics, acquiring clinical experience, and consulting experienced tutors" cannot be ignored. Underpinned by Xiang-thinking, TCM development should highlight the originality and learn from the failures of excessive westernization in the past with an inclusive attitude to forge through disciplines to the leading position.

Butyl alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction alleviates vulvovaginal candidiasis in mice by downregulating NLRP3 inflammasome and related signal pathways / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the effect of butyl alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction(BAEB) on vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) in mice and to clarify the mechanism from Toll-like receptors(TLRs)/MyD88 and Dectin-1/Syk signal pathways and NLRP3 inflammasome. To be specific, female KM mice were randomized into control group(i.g., normal saline), model group, fluco-nazole group(i.g., 20 mg·kg~(-1)), and low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose BAEB groups(i.g., 20, 40, and 80 mg·kg~(-1), respectively). VVC was induced in mice except the control group. After the modeling, administration began and lasted 7 days. The ge-neral conditions and body weight of mice were recorded every day. On the 1 st, 3 rd, 7 th, and 14 th after vaginal infection by Candida albicans, the fungal load in the vaginal lavage fluid of the mice was measured with the plate method, and the morphology of C. albicans in vaginal lavage fluid was observed based on Gram staining. After the mice were killed, vaginal tissues were subjected to hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and periodic acid-Schiff(PAS) staining for vaginal histopathological analysis. The content of cytokines in vaginal lavage fluid, such as interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-6, and S100 a8, was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and content of reactive oxygen species(ROS) in vaginal tissues by tissue ROS detection kit. The protein expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, Dectin-1, Syk, MyD88, TLR2, TLR4, and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) in vaginal tissues was detected by Western blot, and the levels and distribution of NLRP3, Dectin-1, Syk, MyD88, TLR2, and TLR4 in vaginal tissues were determined with the immunohistochemical method. The results show that BAEB can improve the general conditions of VVC mice, reduce the fungal load and C. albicans hyphae in vaginal secretion, decrease ROS content in vaginal tissues and content of cytokines in vaginal lavage fluid, and down-regulate the expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, Dectin-1, Syk, MyD88, TLR2, TLR4, and NF-κB in vaginal tissues. The above results indicate that BAEB exerts therapeutic effect on VVC mice by down-regulating the key proteins in the TLRs/MyD88 and Dectin-1/Syk signal pathways and NLRP3 inflammasome.

Research progress in the application of chemical space in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 国际中医中药杂志

Combined with the related research progress of the application of chemical space in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the common database resources and calculation tools of chemical space research are summarized and analyzed. The compatibility law of chemical space in TCM prescriptions, the screening of effective ingredients of TCMs, and TCM compounds are summarized. It was found that the current studies mainly focus on the efficacy and multi-target studies of TCMs and TCM compound, among which there are more studies on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The existing studies have clarified the efficacy and targets of TCMs or TCM compound for diseases, but there is still a lack of a database on the main components of all TCMs and the efficacy and main targets of TCM compound. Therefore, there needs a new database for the main efficacy molecules and targets of TCMs.

Correlation analysis of cervical spine dysfunction, pain and muscle strength in office workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To expore the correlation between neck disability, neck pain and muscle strength in cervical pondylosis of office worker, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis. Methods: In April 2021 ,234 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated in the Subsidiary Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2015 to April 2017 were selected, the correlation between Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, neck pain and muscle strength was analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation method. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the difference of maximum muscle strength of isometric contraction. Results: NDI score was negatively correlated with neck flexion, extension, and muscle strength in the left and right flexion directions (r(s)=-0.164, -0.169, -0.222, -0.176, P=0.012, 0.010, 0.001 , 0.007). In mild and moderate functional disorder patients, the muscle strength in flexion, extension and left and right flexion direction was greater, the difference was statistically significant (P <0.01). Conclusion: There is a negative correlation between cervical functional disorder and cervical muscle strength in office workers, suggesting that strengthening cervical muscle strength may be a way to improve cervical spine function.

Q-marker prediction analysis of Gentiana rigescens Franch. based on HPLC and network pharmacology / 药学学报

Aa a characteristic medicinal plant in China, Gentiana rigescens Franch. has the function of protecting the liver and invigorating the spleen. At present, there are a few studies on the content determination method of characteristic components of G. rigescens, so it is necessary to establish a scientific and effective quality control method; In this study, The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of G. rigescens was established, based on literature reviewed and characteristic spectrum identified, the source range of G. rigescens quality marker (Q-marker) was screened. The effectiveness of the ingredients and the corresponding targets and pathways was analyzed through network pharmacology, and drew the diagram of ''component-target-pathway''. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of G. rigescens was performed by HPLC, and screen the main marker components leading to the differences between groups which were determined the Q-marker of G. rigescens; The literature and HPLC had determined that five iridoids were the main source of G. rigescens Q-marker. The network pharmacology (effectiveness) and qualitative and quantitative (detectability) analysis of G. rigescens from different producing areas confirmed that gentiopicroside, swertiamarin, and sweroside can be used as the main landmark components, and there were significant differences in their contents among different producing areas; The analysis of G. rigescens from different producing areas was carried out by network pharmacology and chemical fingerprints, it is confirmed can be used as potential Q-marker to provide sufficient theoretical basis for the quality control of G. rigescens in the later period.

Fish consumption, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids intake and risk of stroke: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although fish consumption or omega-3 intake is associated with cardio- cerebrovascular disease including stroke, their correlation is still controversial. Therefore, this meta-analysis is to identify the relationship between the risk of stroke and fish consumption or omega-3 intake. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases as of May 2019. Multivariateadjusted risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for stroke in different level intake of fish or Longchain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC ω3-PUFAs) were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. A dose-response analysis was conducted with the 2-stage generalized least-squares trend program. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis identified a total of 17 prospective cohort studies including 14986 strokes events in 672711 individuals. Meta-analysis revealed that the higher fish consumption was significantly associated with lower risk of stroke (RR=0.871, 95% CI: 0.779-0.975, p=0.016), especially with ischemic stroke (RR=0.808, 95% CI: 0.696- 0.937, p=0.005). Meantime, the combined RR of total stroke was 0.859 (95% CI: 0.769-0.959, p=0.007) for the highest versus lowest intake of LC ω3-PUFAs, and stratification analysis showed that higher LC ω3-PUFAs intake was associated with reduced stroke risk in women (RR=0.793, 95% CI: 0.706-0.891, p=0.000) but not in men. In addition, the dose-response analysis showed fish consumption with 1000g per month and LC ω3-PUFAs intake with 0.5g per month was associated with 17.3% (RR=0.927, 95% CI: 0.83-0.98) and 14% (RR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.78-0.95) lower risk of stroke, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both fish consumption and LC ω3-PUFAs intake were negatively associated with the risk of stroke, especially in women, which suggest that increased intake of fishery products and LC ω3-PUFAs may benefit primary prevention of stroke.

Morinda citrifolia (Noni) Juice Suppresses A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells via Inhibiting AKT/Nuclear Factor-κ B Signaling Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of the anti-tumor effect of Morinda citrifolia (noni). METHODS: The influences of noni juice on cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and the activity of AKT/nuclear factor- κ B (NF- κ B) signaling pathway in A549 human lung cancer cells were detected by MTT, cell counting kit-8, colony formation, Annexin V/PI double labeling, transwell, scratch test and immunoblotting assay, respectively. A549 cells were inoculated into the right axilla of nude mice, followed by noni juice treatment. The body weight of the nude mice was weighed, and the tumor volume and weight were measured. Cell proliferation and expression of apoptosis-related proteins were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the activity of NF- κ B signaling pathway was measured by immunoblotting. RESULTS: The in vitro studies showed that noni juice inhibited the A549 cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Noni juice also promoted cells apoptosis in A549 cells. Immunoblotting assay showed that the phosphorylation level of AKT, p50, and STAT3 proteins was inhibited to different extents after noni juice treatment. The in vivo studies showed that noni juice effectively suppressed tumor formation of A549 cells in nude mice. Noni juice treatment inhibited the expression of Ki67, PCNA, and Bcl-2 protein in the tumor; while promoted the expression of caspase-3 protein. Additionally, we also found that noni juice treatment could restrain the activity of AKT/NF- κ B signaling pathway in the tumor tissue. CONCLUSION: Noni juice inhibited the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells, induced apoptosis, and inhibited cell invasion and migration via regulating AKT/NF- κ B signaling pathway.

Spatial heterogeneity and physical structure basis of antibacterial activity of Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan Decoction / 药学学报

Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan Decoction is a classic prescription. However, the interaction among multiple components of the decoction and the change of phase state are not clear. Moreover, the relationship between the physical phase state aggregated by multiple components and the efficacy still needs to be studied. In this study, we monitored the particle size changes of Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan Decoction in real time. Then we isolated different phase states by centrifugation, analyzed their composition distribution and tested their antibacterial activity. We added chemical interference agents to investigate the interaction of multi-component physical phase states accompanied by the observation of particle size change and morphology. We also studied the correlation between antibacterial activity and physical structure of phase states. The results showed during boiling process the degree of hybridization of particles was decreased and the particle size distribution was narrowed and stabilized at 170 nm. The distribution of organic and inorganic components was heterogeneous among different phase states. S-13500, supernatant isolated by 13 500 ×g centrifugation, constituted by ephedrine, amygdalin, glycyrrhizic acid and inorganic components Ca, K, Mg, etc., had the strongest antibacterial activity. The molecular interaction force in the active physical phase state was mainly hydrophobic and hydrogen bond. The destruction of the interaction force will lead to the change of phase structure and the decrease of antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo. This study confirms that, in the boiling process of the Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan Decoction, the chemical components interweave and interact to form new physical phase states, leading to heterogeneous distribution of components. The antimicrobial activity of the active phase depends on both chemical composition and physical structure, which provides a direct evidence for the physical basis of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine.

Herbal Textual Research on Polygonati Rhizoma and Ethnic Usage / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Polygonati Rhizoma was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu（《名医别录》） as both medicine and food due to its high edible and medicinal values.However，there is no systematic textual research on its use as medicine and food. Polygonati Rhizoma and Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma show similar morphology，so they are often confused.Clematis apiifolia and Polygonatum odoratum are often regarded as the original plants of Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma. By reviewing the related records in Chinese herbal books of the past dynasties，this paper aimed to clarify the relationship between Polygonati Rhizoma，C.apiifolia and P.odoratum，trace the historical evolution of Polygonati Rhizoma as medicine and food from the name，harvesting and processing，property，flavor and meridian tropism，efficacy and indications，edible and medicinal records，and contraindications，and summarize its application in ethnic medicine，in order to inherit and develop the ethnic medicine. The findings demonstrated that the name of Polygonati Rhizoma and its synonyms were derived from its pictogram，function，and place of origin，containing a wealth of myth implication and Taoism thought.Polygonati Rhizoma，C.apiifolia and P.odoratum are three species，different from the conclusions in previous textual research. The seedlings，flowers，seeds，and rhizomes of Polygonati Rhizoma all could be used for edible and medicinal purposes，with its edible records exceeding the medicinal records. There were 22 medical books from the ethnic minority groups such as The Annals of National Medicine in Yunnan，Zhongguo Minzu Yaozhi Yao，and Dictionary of Chinese Ethnic Medicine recording the knowledge and application of 12 species in Polygonatum by 26 ethnic minorities.Due to their different living environments，lifestyles，and cultural customs，ethnic minorities have formed their unique medical cultures.

Research Progress on Pharmacological Mechanism of Danhong Injection in Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are one of the major diseases endangering human health， and its morbidity and mortality are still in the rising stage in our country. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） injections play an important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to their advantages of rapid onset， remarkable curative effect， and convenient use. Among them， Danhong injection （DHI）， a Chinese medicine injection for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis， is widely used in the clinical treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. DHI is composed of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma （Danshen in Chinese） and Carthami Flos （Honghua in Chinese）， and mainly contains phenolic acids， tanshinones and flavonoids. A large number of studies have shown that DHI has a significant effect in the treatment of ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases， is a representative drug of co-therapy of brain and heart of TCM， its pharmacological effects related to many aspects such as anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidation， anti-coagulation. At the same time， Other studies have also explained the protective effects of DHI on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases through the overall regulation and intervention of multiple targets and pathways. However， DHI has a wide range of clinical applications， there are still many unknown pharmacological effects to be further explored. Therefore， this article summarizes the current researches on the chemical components of DHI， the multi-target and multi-path pharmacological mechanisms of DHI in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases， and introduces the latest pharmacological research progress， so as to provide theoretical guidance for clinical rational drug use and subsequent in-depth research.

Main components in butyl alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis / 中国中药杂志

The present study aims to investigate the effects of the main components(aesculin, berberine hydrochloride, and anemoside B4) in the butyl alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction(BAEB) on the chemotaxis of neutrophils induced by dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO). HL60 cells were cultivated in RPMI-1640 complete medium, and transferred into a 6-well plate(2 × 10~5 per mL) with 4 mL in each well, followed by incubation with DMSO at 1.3% for five days. The morphologic changes of cells were observed under an inverted microscope. The CD11 b expression after DMSO induction was analyzed by flow cytometry. The effects of aesculin, berberine hydrochloride, and anemoside B4 on the cell proliferation and migration were detected by CCK8 assay and Transwell assay, respectively. The effects of the main components on the production and polarization of F-actin protein were also examined by flow cytometry and laser confocal microscopy. PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway was checked by Western blot. As revealed by the results, neutrophil-like HL60 cells were observed after DMSO induction. The CD11 b expression in these cells increased significantly as indicated by the flow cytometry. Additionally, 100 μg·mL~(-1) aesculin, 8 μg·mL~(-1) berberine hydrochloride, and 80 μg·mL~(-1) anemoside B4 were potent in inhibiting the migration of neutrophils and reducing F-actin expression. Berberine hydrochloride was verified to be capable of diminishing phosphorylated PI3 K/Akt protein expression. The findings indicate that aesculin, anemoside B4, and especially berberine hydrochloride in the BAEB can inhibit the chemotaxis of neutrophils, which is possibly achieved by the inhibition of F-actin and PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway.

Mechanism of Sanhuang Decoction in alleviating dextran sulfate sodium induced ulcerative colitis in mice with Candida albicans colonization:based on high-throughput transcriptome sequencing / 中国中药杂志

This study explored the mechanism of Sanhuang Decoction(SHD) in treating dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis(UC) in mice with Candida albicans(Ca) colonization via high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Specifically, the animal model was established by oral administration of 3.0% DSS for 7 days followed by intragastrical administration of Ca suspension at 1.0 × 10~8 cells for 4 days and then the mice were treated with SHD enema for 7 days. Afterwards, the general signs were observed and the disease activity index(DAI) was recorded every day. After mice were sacrificed, colon length and colon mucosa damage index(CMDI) were determined and the histomorphology was observed with the HE staining method. The fungal loads of feces were detected with the plate method. Anti-saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody(ASCA) and β-1,3-glucan in serum, and TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum and colon were detected by ELISA. High-throughput RNA sequencing method was adopted to identify transcriptome of colon tissues from the control, model and SHD(15.0 g·kg~(-1)) groups. Differentially expressed genes(DEGs) among groups were screened and the GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the DEGs was performed. The expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and IL-1β genes related to the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway which involved 9 DEGs, were examined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The results demonstrated that SHD improved the general signs, decreased DAI and Ca loads of feaces, alleviated colon edema, erosion, and shortening, and lowered the content of β-1,3-glucan in serum and TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum and colon tissues of mice. Transcriptome sequencing revealed 383 DEGs between SHD and model groups, which were mainly involved in the biological processes of immune system, response to bacterium, and innate immune response. They were mainly enriched in the NOD-like signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine interaction pathway, and retinol metabolism pathway. Moreover, SHD down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β. In a word, SHD ameliorates DSS-induced UC in mice colonized with Ca, which probably relates to its regulation of NOD-like receptor signaling pathway.