Sheng-Mai-Yin inhibits doxorubicin-induced ferroptosis and cardiotoxicity through regulation of Hmox1.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapeutic drug used for treating various cancers. However, its clinical use is limited due to its severe cardiotoxicity, which often results in high mortality rates. Sheng-Mai-Yin (SMY), a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has been reported to exert a cardioprotective effect in various cardiovascular diseases, including DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). This study aimed to provide novel insights into the underlying cardioprotective mechanism of SMY. SMY, composed of Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.), Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.), and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) at a ratio of 3:2:1, was intragastrically administered to male C57BL/6 mice for five days prior to the intraperitoneal injection of mitoTEMPO. One day later, DOX was intraperitoneally injected. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius red staining were carried out to estimate the pharmacological effect of SMY on cardiotoxicity. Mitochondrial function and ferroptosis biomarkers were also examined. AAV was utilized to overexpress Hmox1 to confirm whether Hmox1-mediated ferroptosis is associated with the cardioprotective effect of SMY on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The findings revealed that SMY therapy reduced the number of damaged cardiomyocytes. SMY therapy also reversed the inductions of cardiac MDA, serum MDA, LDH, and CK-MB contents, which dramatically decreased nonheme iron levels. In the meantime, SMY corrected the changes to ferroptosis indices brought on by DOX stimulation. Additionally, Hmox1 overexpression prevented SMY's ability to reverse cardiotoxicity. Our results showed that SMY effectively restrained lipid oxidation, reduced iron overload, and inhibited DOX-induced ferroptosis and cardiotoxicity, possibly via the mediation of Hmox1.

Arousing Effects of Electroacupuncture on the "Shuigou Point" in Rats with Disorder of Consciousness after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Orexin is an important neuropeptide that stimulates cortical activation and arousal and is involved in the regulation of wakefulness and arousal. Our previous meta-analysis showed that acupuncture fared well in the treatment of TBI-induced DOC in which "shuigou (DU 26)" was the most important and frequent point targeted. In the present study, we investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) promotes TBI-induced unconsciousness wakefulness via orexin pathway. A TBI rat model was established using a control cortical impact (CCI) model. In the stimulated group, TBI rats received EA (15 Hz, 1.0 mA, 15 min). In the antagonist group, TBI rats were intraperitoneally injected with the orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) antagonist SB334867 and received EA. Unconsciousness time was observed in each group after TBI, and electrocorticography (ECoG) was applied to detect rats' EEG activity. Immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blot were used to assess the levels of orexin-1(OX1) and OX1R expression in the mPFC. We show that duration of unconsciousness and the ratio of delta power in ECoG in the EA group were significantly reduced compared with those in the TBI group. EA could increase OX1 and OX1R expression in the mPFC and reduced the loss of orexin-producing neurons in LHA. However, all the efficacy of EA was blocked by the OX1R antagonist SB334867. Our findings suggest that EA promotes the recovery of consciousness of TBI-induced unconscious rats via upregulation of OX1and OX1R expression in mPFC.

[Regularity of Clinical Application of Lianquan (CV 23) in Chinese Ancient Times According to Literature of Traditional Chinese Medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the regularity of application of Lianquan (CV 23) in clinical practice in Chinese ancient times through analysis of ancient traditional Chinese medical (TCM) literature. METHODS: A total of 60 books involving CV 23 from the 1 156 ancient TCM books listed in the fifth edition of Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine were collected by using CV 23 as the main keyword and "Sheben" "Benchi", and "Jieben" (the other names of CV 23 in TCM)as the supplementary keywords and analyzed systematically. A database was then constructed from the collected data, including the related types of disorders or symptoms, acupoint recipes, and methods of needling and moxibustion, contraindications, etc. RESULTS: A total of 196 articles related to the application of CV 23 from 60 ancient classical books were collected in accordance with the inclusive criteria. Among them, 155 articles are referred to the indications of CV 23, 35 to types of disorders such as asthma, cough, tongue swelling with difficulty in speaking, protracted tongue, acute contraction of tongue root, vomiting, spasm syndrome, stroke, aphtha, problems of mouth and teeth, throat problems, etc. of the internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and five-sense organs; 64 items are referred to the application of single CV 23, 91 to CV 23-included recipes containing 111 adjunct acupoints, and 78 to stimulation of CV 23 with acupuncture needle, moxibustion, pricking blood, and fire needle. Moreover, of the 111 adjunct acupoints, the most commonly used are Shaoshang (LU 11), Tiantu (CV 22), Hegu (LI 4), Yuye (EX-HN 13), Zhongchong (PC 9), etc. CONCLUSION: Lianquan (CV 23) is mainly used for glossopharyngeal problems chiefly by syndrome-meridian differentiation. The supplement of complementary acupoints or five-shu points in combination with CV 23 has a synergistic effect. Moxibustion (3 moxa- cones in general) is often employed, and the needling depth is usually about 7.5 mm. The common contraindication of CV 23 is severe tongue swelling.