Tongue features of patients with granulomatous lobular mastitis.

Traditional Chinese tongue diagnosis plays an irreplaceable role in disease diagnosis. This study aimed to describe the tongue characteristics of patients with granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM). Forty GLM patients and 40 non-GLM controls were evaluated using the Traditional Chinese Medicine subjective clinical interpretation and a TDA-1 Tongue Diagnostic and Analysis system. The associations between the image features of the tongue body and coating and the profiling of immune-inflammatory parameters were analyzed. GLM patients were prone to a reddish tongue bodies with thick, white, and greasy coatings. Thick and greasy tongue coating features are risk factors for GLM. GLM patients had higher levels of white blood cells (WBC), platelets, C-reactive protein, interleukin-2, and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) than non-GLM controls (P < .05). Also, tongue coating contrast and entropy values were significantly correlated with WBC or TGF-ß levels in GLM patients (r < -0.310 and P < .05). We demonstrated that the hot evil and phlegm-dampness constitutions are the main characteristics of GLM. This might provide a reference for GLM diagnosis.

Identifying the anti-metastasis effect of Anhydroicaritin on breast cancer: Coupling network pharmacology with experimental validation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. and Cullen corylifolium (L.) Medik. are part of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) drug pair (ECDP) widely used in the clinical treatment of breast cancer (BC). Both drugs have been proven to have anti-tumor effect. However, the active ingredients and molecular mechanism of ECDP remain to be explored. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the efficacy and potential mechanisms of actions of herb pair through network pharmacology and in vitro and in vivo experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The active ingredients of ECDP were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The corresponding potential target genes for ECDP components and BC were extracted from established databases, and the protein-protein interaction network of shared genes was constructed using STRING database. The effective ingredients and targets of ECDP for BC were obtained through the TCMSP database and GeneCards database. The potential targets and pathways were selected through the protein interaction network and enrichment analysis. Proliferation and migration experiments in vitro and tumor growth in vivo were performed to evaluate the effects of Anhydroicaritin (AHI) on BC. RESULTS: AHI is the potential candidate active ingredient of ECDP through TCMSP. Molecular docking revealed that AHI has excellent binding ability with TP53, VEGFA, MMP2, and Met. In vitro experiment results showed that AHI inhibits the growth of MDA-MB-231, 4T1, MCF-7, and SK-BR-3 BC cells. The inhibitory effect of AHI on triple-negative BC cells is more obvious. With the increase of AHI concentration, the colony-forming, migration, and metastasis abilities of the MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells gradually decreases. In addition, Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses results indicated that AHI downregulates HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling in triple-negative BC cells. AHI inhibits tumor growth and lung metastasis while downregulating the expression of HIF-1α and VEGFA. CONCLUSION: AHI may play an anti-BC effect by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. The results of this study may provide a theoretical basis for AHI research and the clinical application of ECDP in BC.

Mechanism of Gegen Qinlian Decoction Regulating ABTB1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer Metastasis Based on PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 Pathway.

It was to investigate the role of Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD) in the regulation of ABTB1 gene based on PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis. In this study, 10 cases of the CRC mouse model were established by inoculating CT26 cells into the spleen of mice, which were divided into the experimental group and the control group, 5 cases in each group; the control group was intragastrically administered with normal saline 0.3 mL/d, and the experimental group was intragastrically administered with GQD 0.2 mL/d at a ratio of 0.2 g medicinal materials/10 g for 10 days and sacrificed, and pathological sections were made. The expression density of signaling pathway PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 as well as gene ABTB1 was detected in the sections of the two groups, and the mechanism of action of this gene in the two groups of mice was studied. It was found that the densities of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-FOXO1 in the experimental group of mice were 26.55 g/cm3, 70.2 g/cm3, and 24.36 g/cm3, respectively, which were significantly increased compared with the control group, P < 0.05; the density of ABTB1 was 35.4 g/cm3, which was significantly increased compared with the control group, P < 0.05; the proliferation and migration ability of CRC cells in the experimental group were significantly decreased, P < 0.05. GQD can promote the expression of ABTB1 by activating the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway, in order to inhibit the proliferation and growth ability of CRC cells.

Traditional Chinese medicine Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi-Fang attenuates glycolysis and immune escape in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: results based on network pharmacology.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common malignant type of kidney cancer. The present study aims to explore the underlying mechanism and potential targets of the traditional Chinese medicine Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi-Fang (BSJPF) in the treatment of ccRCC based on network pharmacology. After obtaining the complete composition information for BSJPF from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, we analyzed its chemical composition and molecular targets and then established a pharmacological interaction network. Twenty-four significantly differentially expressed genes and nine pathways mainly related to tumor proliferation were identified and screened. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the potential targets might be significantly involved in glycolysis and the HIF-1 signaling pathway. To further confirm the effect of BSJPF on ccRCC cell proliferation, a BALB/c xenograft mouse model was constructed. Potential targets involved in regulating glycolysis and the tumor immune microenvironment were evaluated using RT-qPCR. VEGF-A expression levels were markedly decreased, and heparin binding-EGF expression was increased in the BSJPF group. BSJPF also inhibited tumor proliferation by enhancing GLUT1- and LDHA-related glycolysis and the expression of the immune checkpoint molecules PD-L1 and CTLA-4, thereby altering the immune-rejection status of the tumor microenvironment. In summary, the present study demonstrated that the mechanism of BSJPF involves multiple targets and signaling pathways related to tumorigenesis and glycolysis metabolism in ccRCC. Our research provides a novel theoretical basis for the treatment of tumors with traditional Chinese medicine and new strategies for immunotherapy in ccRCC patients.

Extracts of Zuo Jin Wan, a traditional Chinese medicine, phenocopies 5-HTR1D antagonist in attenuating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in colorectal cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that Zuo Jin Wan (ZJW), a herbal formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), possessed anticancer properties. However, the underlying mechanism for the action of ZJW remains unclear. Various subtypes of 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor (5-HTR) have been shown to play a role in carcinogenesis and cancer metastasis. 5-HTR1D, among the subtypes, is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and tissues. The present study aimed at investigating effect of ZJW extracts on the biological function of CRC cells, the expression of 5-HTR1D, and molecules of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. METHODS: In this study, the effect of ZJW extracts on 5-HTR1D expression and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway were investigated and contrasted with GR127935 (GR), a known 5-HTR1D antagonist, using the CRC cell line SW403. The cells were respectively treated with GR127935 and different doses of ZJW extracts. Proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of SW403 cells were compared between ZJW and GR127935 treatments. The expression of 5-HTR1D and signaling molecules involved in the canonic Wnt/ß-catenin pathway were determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: After ZJW extracts treatment and GR127935 treatment, G1 arrest in cell cycle of SW403 was increased. Cell apoptosis was pronounced, and cell migration and invasion were suppressed. SW403 cells showed a dose-dependently decreased expression of 5-HTR1D, meanwhile, ß-catenin level was significantly decreased in nucleus of cells cultured with GR127935. Treatment of ZJW extracts dose-dependently resulted in decreased 5-HTR1D and a concomitant reduction in the Wnt/ß-catenin signal transduction, an effect indistinguishable from GR127935 treatment. CONCLUSION: The anticancer activity of ZJW extracts may be partially achieved through attenuation of the 5-HTR1D-Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

[Effects of Ruanjian Xiaoying Decoction on chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of Ruanjian Xiaoying Decoction (RJXYD) on chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. METHODS: Eighty patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis were randomly divided into RJXYD-treated group (n=40) and control group (n=40). The patients in the RJXYD-treated group received treatment of RJXYD combined with levothyroxine while the others in the control group received treatment of levothyroxine and prednisone both for 16 weeks. The serum levels of thyroid hormones and the titres of serum antithyroglobulin antibody (anti-TG Ab) and antithyroid microsomal antibody (anti-TM Ab) were all examined before and after treatment. The total response rates of the two groups were evaluated after treatment of 16 weeks. RESULTS: The total response rate of the RJXYD-treated group was 92.5%, while that of the control group was 60.0% (P<0.01). The serum levels of free triiodothyronine (FT(3)) and free thyroxine (FT(4)) were obviously increased after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the two groups. The titres of serum anti-TG Ab and anti-TM Ab and the serum level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were all obviously decreased after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The RJXYD can shrink and soften the enlarged thyroid gland and thyroid nodules, improve the immune function of human body, alleviate the response to thyroid self-antigens and promote the recovery of thyroid function.