Prediction and analysis of quality markers for Chuantieling gel patches based on HPLC fingerprinting and network pharmacology.

The Chuantieling gel patch (CGP), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, is an external treatment for asthma. It has shown remarkable effectiveness in alleviating asthma-related airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. Nevertheless, there is currently no information available regarding the analysis of quality markers for CGP, and there is a need for further improvement in quality control research. In this study, we developed an HPLC fingerprinting method for CGP and conducted a comprehensive methodological investigation. We assessed the similarity among 10 batches of CGP, identified common peaks, and quantified the content of seven major quality markers. Furthermore, we built a network pharmacology-based 'active ingredients-targets-pathways-diseases' network to forecast the potential mechanisms of action for the primary active components in asthma treatment. Our findings demonstrated that the developed CGP fingerprinting and content determination methods were consistent and trustworthy. We verified the existence of 25 shared peaks and successfully identified 7 chromatographic peaks, including sinigrin thiocyanate, ephedrine hydrochloride, methyleugenol, imperatorin, cinnamaldehyde, emodin, and 6-gingerol, using reference standards. The network pharmacology analysis suggested that these seven active components may target proteins such as STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), MAPK3 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 3), and TP53 (tumor protein P53) and influence various diseases through pathways including cancer pathways, hepatitis B, and PI3K-Akt (phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B) signaling. This study provides insight into the complex multicomponent composition of CGP, and the predictive analysis through network pharmacology sets the stage for uncovering the mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic effects of CGP.

Comparative efficacy of five traditional Chinese medicine injections for treating heart failure with reduced and mildly reduced ejection fraction: Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Background: More than half of all heart failure (HF) patients have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). The combination of traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMIs) with Western medicine treatment (WMT) has been reported to have better efficacy than using WMT alone. However, the positive effects of TCMIs combined with WMT on HFrEF and HFmrEF require more comprehensive and systematic evidence and warrant further investigation. Methods: The NMA searched eight databases, including four English and four Chinese, from database creation to November 10, 2022. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (ROB 2) to assess the selected studies' quality. OpenBUGS and STATA 17.0 were used for network meta-analysis. Results: The 101 RCTs were included in the systematic review. Studies have shown that when combined with any of the five TCMIs, WMT was more efficient than WMT alone. Shenmai injection (SMI) + WMT may be the best treatment for clinical effectiveness rate (CER) improvement and b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) reduction. Huangqi injection (HQI) + WMT was the best treatment for improving left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Danhong injection (DHI) + WMT may be the best treatment for lowering left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD). Xinmailong injection (XMLI) + WMT was likely the best treatment for increasing the 6-min walking test (6MWT). In addition, XMLI had the lowest incidence of adverse reactions (3.38%). Conclusions: Shenfu injection (SFI), SMI, DHI, XMLI, and HQI combined with WMT have stronger efficiency in treating HFrEF and HFmrEF. However, as all studies were conducted in China, this review is limited by the inevitable selection bias, and further high-quality multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are required.

[Efficacy and mechanism of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction on model rats of coronary heart disease with heart blood stasis syndrome based on metabolomics].

This study investigated the effects of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction on myocardial metabolites in a rat model of coronary heart disease with heart blood stasis syndrome and explored the therapeutic mechanism of blood circulation-promoting and blood stasis-removing therapy. SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction group(14.04 g·kg~(-1)), and a trimetazidine group(5.4 mg·kg~(-1)). The sham operation group underwent thread insertion without ligation, while the other groups underwent coronary artery left anterior descending branch ligation to induce a model of coronary heart disease with heart blood stasis syndrome. Three days after modeling, drug intervention was performed, and samples were taken after 14 days of intervention. General conditions were observed, and electrocardiogram and cardiac ultrasound indices were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining were used to observe tissue pathological morphology. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure the levels of triglyceride(TG) and total cholesterol(TC) in the serum. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QE-MS) technology was used to screen differential metabolites in myocardial tissue and conduct metabolic pathway enrichment analysis. The results showed that Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction significantly improved the general condition of the model rats, reduced heart rate and ST segment elevation in the electrocardiogram, increased left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS), and decreased left ventricular internal diameter in diastole(LVIDd) and left ventricular internal diameter in systole(LVIDs). HE staining and Masson staining showed that Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction effectively alleviated myocardial tissue structural disorders, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition in the model rats. ELISA results showed that Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction effectively regulated serum TG and TC levels in the model rats. There were significant differences in the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples in each group. Fourteen differential metabolites were identified in the Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction group, involving five metabolic pathways, including arginine and proline metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, ether lipid metabolism, and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction improved cardiac function and myocardial structural damage in the rat model of coronary heart disease with heart blood stasis syndrome, and its biological mechanism involved the regulation of lipid metabolism, choline metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and protein synthesis pathways.

The Chinese medicine Xin-tong-tai granule protects atherosclerosis by regulating oxidative stress through NOX/ROS/NF-κB signal pathway.

BACKGROUND: Xin-tong-tai Granule (XTTG), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat atherosclerosis (AS), but its mechanism is poorly understood. Intriguingly, oxidative stress has been recognized as vital factors in the treatment of atherosclerosis. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of XTTG for treating AS. METHODS: An in-vivo model of AS was established by feeding ApoE-/- mice with a high-fat diet (HFD), and the Human Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (HAVSMCs) were induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in vitro. After treatment, the blood lipid levels and pathological aortic changes of each group were observed, and the cell proliferation and lipid droplet aggregation in each group were evaluated. The oxidative stress indicators such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and related NOX/ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway indicators were observed. RESULTS: XTTG improved blood lipid levels and pathological aortic changes of ApoE-/- mice with HFD feeding, inhibited HAVSMCs proliferation and lipid droplet aggregation induced by ox-LDL, reduced MDA content, increased SOD content, inhibited NOX4 and p22phox protein expression, downregulated ROS content, inhibited IKK-α, IKK-ß, NF-κB protein and mRNA expression and the phosphorylation of NF-κB. CONCLUSION: XTTG can inhibit NOX/ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway, reduce damages caused by oxidative stress, and exert anti-AS effects.

Intelligent Chinese Medicine: A New Direction Approach for Integrative Medicine in Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases.

High mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) persist worldwide. Older people are at a higher risk of developing these diseases. Given the current high treatment cost for CVDs, there is a need to prevent CVDs and or develop treatment alternatives. Western and Chinese medicines have been used to treat CVDs. However, several factors, such as inaccurate diagnoses, non-standard prescriptions, and poor adherence behavior, lower the benefits of the treatments by Chinese medicine (CM). Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in clinical diagnosis and treatment, especially in assessing efficacy of CM in clinical decision support systems, health management, new drug research and development, and drug efficacy evaluation. In this study, we explored the role of AI in CM in the diagnosis and treatment of CVDs, and discussed application of AI in assessing the effect of CM on CVDs.

Analysis of Cognition, Protection, Psychological, and Job-search Intentions Among Medical and Nonmedical College Students During COVID-19 Epidemic.

Context: Since December 2019, medical practitioners discovered a novel coronavirus causing an acute respiratory-tract infection in some hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei Province. COVID-19 has spread globally, making it an epidemic worldwide at present. Understanding the mental-health responses of college students to COVID-19 can help a school staff to better guide students seeking education. Objective: The study aimed to explore the differences between nonmedical and medical college students during the COVID-19 epidemic in their cognitive interest about the disease, preventive behaviors, psychological effects, and job-search intentions, hoping to provide more targeted measures for virus-coping education for college students. Design: The research team conducted a cross-sectional study, using an anonymous online questionnaire. Setting: The study took place at Shanghai, China. Participants: Participants were 1648 college students studying different specialties in various provinces of China, 485 nonmedical students and 1163 medical students. Outcome Measures: The survey's questions covered the respondents': (1) general demographic characteristics, (2) cognitive interest and knowledge about COVID-19 and its infectiousness as well as efforts at active learning about infectious diseases and viruses, (3) awareness of precautionary behaviors against COVID-19, (4) effects on mental health, and (5) effects on job-search intentions. The research team used descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests to analyze the survey data. Results: Among nonmedical students: (1) 297 participants (61.2%) were interested in learning about COVID-19, (2) 321 participants (66.2%) took the initiative to learn about the virus, (3) 301 participants (62.1%) took the initiative to learn about infectious disease, and (4) 151 participants (31.1%) watched medical-themed movies or TV series about COVID-19. Among medical students, the corresponding proportions were 772 participants (66.4%), 855 participants (73.5%), 791 participants (68.1%), and 791 participants (68.1%), respectively. Among nonmedical students, 223 participants (46.0%) had N95 masks available, 429 participants (88.5%) had disinfectant supplies available, 271 participants (55.9%) wore goggles in public places, 75 participants (15.5%) chose public transportation, and 77 participants (15.9%) were exposed to public places in the week prior to the survey. Among medical students, the corresponding proportions were 470 participants (40.4%), 935 participants (80.4%), 575 participants (49.4%), 243 participants (20.9%), and 297 participants (25.5%), respectively. Furthermore, COVID-19 had a stronger effect on medical students' psychology and job-search ambitions. Conclusions: The news about COVID-19 piqued the interest of medical students. Nonmedical students had stronger protective behavior than medical students. The COVID-19 outbreak had a significant influence on medical students' lives, studies, and moods. In addition, COVID-19 had a greater impact on the job-search intentions of medical students.

Student nurses' spiritual care competence and attitude: An online survey.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess student nurses' competence and attitude toward spiritual care and analysed the associated factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using an online survey. METHODS: From April 14 to June 14, 2018, a convenience sample of 938 student nurses were recruited from six schools of Nursing in Hunan Province, China. Data were collected by using the Chinese versions of the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (C-SCCS) and the Spiritual Care Attitude Scale (C-SCAS). RESULTS: The average total score on the C-SCCS was 21.42 (±4.27) out of 30 and the C-SCAS was 58.03 (±9.90) out of 75. Factors such as liking the nursing profession, attending a spiritual care course, participation in classroom learning or expert lecture, and supporting continuous and systematic training were the strongest predictors of higher spiritual care competence and attitude. A better attitude about spiritual care was a relatively moderate and significant predictor of higher spiritual care competence.

An evidence-based evaluation of Buyang Huanwu decoction for the treatment of the sequelae of stroke: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD) is a famous traditional Chinese formula that has been widely prescribed for sequelae of stroke in China. However, the efficacy and safety of BYHWD in treating sequelae of stroke have never been systematically evaluated. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BYHWD in the treatment of sequelae of stroke. STUDY DESIGN: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA)-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Five common electronic databases were searched for relevant RCTs from their inception until May 20, 2022. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality and the risk of bias of the included RCTs. Review Manager 5.4 was used to analyse all the data obtained. The clinical effective rate (CER) was the primary outcome, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores were the secondary outcomes. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence for each outcome. RESULTS: Thirty-two clinical studies that recruited 2,527 eligible patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis suggested that compared with conventional treatment alone, the addition of BYHWD significantly improved the CER (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.20-1.29, p < 0.00001), decreased the NIHSS score (MD = -5.42, 95% CI: -5.87-4.97, p < 0.00001), and increased the FMA score (MD = 17.28, 95% CI: 15.12-19.45, p < 0.00001). There were no reported adverse events in the included studies. Most results were robust, and the quality of evidence was moderate. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first meta-analysis of RCTs evaluating the effects of BYHWD on sequelae of stroke. The addition of BYHWD to conventional treatment for sequelae of stroke significantly improved the CER and promoted neurological rehabilitation in patients, and there were no reported adverse events associated with this combination therapy. The findings of our study support the use of BYHWD as an adjunct treatment to conventional treatment in this clinical population. However, due to the limitations of the included clinical trials, high-quality clinical trials with longer follow-ups are needed to assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of BYHWD for treating the sequelae of stroke.

Effectively suppressed angiogenesis-mediated retinoblastoma growth using celastrol nanomicelles.

Celastrol, a Chinese herbal medicine, has already shown an inhibition effect on retinoblastoma growth activity in our previous research, but its mechanism is not well understood. Angiogenesis is a main driving force in many tumors. Here, we studied whether celastrol could inhibit angiogenesis-mediated retinoblastoma growth, if so, through what mechanism. In this work, we developed celastrol-loaded polymeric nanomicelles to improve the poor water solubility of celastrol. When given an intraperitoneal injection to mice bearing human retinoblastoma xenografts, celastrol nanomicelles (CNMs, 27.2 mg/kg/2 days) significantly reduced the weight and the volume of tumors and decreased tumor angiogenesis. We found that CNMs suppressed hypoxia-induced proliferation, migration, and invasion by human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (EA.hy 926) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, CNMs inhibited SO-Rb 50 cells-induced sprouting of the vessels and vascular formation in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay in vitro. To understand the molecular mechanism of these activities, we assessed the signaling pathways in CoCl2 treated EA.hy 926. CNMs inhibited the hypoxia-induced HIF-1α and VEGF. In conclusion, our results reveal that CNMs target the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway, which may be an important reason for the suppression of retinoblastoma growth and angiogenesis.

The efficacy of Polyporus Umbellatus polysaccharide in treating hepatitis B in China.

Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide (PUPS) has been identified as the major bioactive component in the mushroom Polyporus umbellatus that has immuno-enhancing, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities. Both PUPS capsule and injection are Chinese Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) approved drugs, which have been used alone or in combination with a variety of clinical drugs for treating Hepatitis B, lung and liver cancers in China since 1990. Our aim was to review both the efficacy and problem associated with PUPS mono- and combination therapy conducted in China and the underlying molecular mechanisms. To this end, the term Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide both in English and in Chinese was used to conduct a systematic search of PubMed, VIP (Chongqing VIP Chinese Scientific Journals Database), CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), and Wanfang database. A total 11,703 clinically reported cases in China from over 100 publications during the past 27 years were evaluated, translated into English, and summarized into 3 figures and 13 tables to provide a general view of efficacy of PUPS during mono- and combination therapy. The published data showed the effectiveness of PUPS for treating hepatitis B in most reported cases. Moreover, the combined therapies for PUPS plus hepatitis B vaccine, PUPS plus interferon, PUPS plus acyclovir, and PUPS plus iRNA are better than when treated with either drug alone. Overall, when PUPS is used alone or in combination with other drugs for prevention and treatment of hepatitis B-affected patients, the efficacy is convincible.

Lentinan as an immunotherapeutic for treating lung cancer: a review of 12 years clinical studies in China.

PURPOSE: Lentinan is a polysaccharide extracted from Shiitake mushrooms that have been used to improve general health for thousands of years in Asia. Lentinan injection is a clinically approved drug in several countries in Asia. The purpose of this study is to review the structure, preclinical and clinical studies, and molecular mechanisms of lentinan. Most importantly, the clinical effectiveness of lentinan as an adjuvant therapeutic drug in treating patients with lung cancer in China during the past 12 years is analyzed statistically. METHODS: We carried out literature search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2004 to 2016 based on CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (Chongqing VIP Chinese Scientific Journals Database) and Wanfang database, and 38 eligible RCTs of lentinan-associated lung cancer treatment were identified, containing 3,117 patients. RESULTS: The structure and function relationship and underlying molecular mechanism of lentinan as an immunostimulant has been summarized. The mean value of overall response rate in treating lung cancer was increased from 43.3% of chemotherapy alone to 56.9% of lentinan plus chemotherapy [p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.102-0.170]. Compared with chemotherapy alone, lentinan plus chemotherapy showed more efficacy in treating lung cancer (pooled RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.74-0.85) and no statistical heterogeneity was found among studies (I2 = 11%). CONCLUSION: Clinical data presented in the past 12 years shows that lentinan is effective not only in improving quality of life, but also in promoting the efficacy of chemotherapy during lung cancer treatment.

Chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide as an approved drug for treating myopathy and other diseases in China.

Ganoderma lucidum is an edible medicinal mushroom known as "Lingzhi" in China and "Reishi or Manetake" in Japan. It is a highly prized vitality-enhancing herb for more than 2000 years. G. lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) has been identified as one of the major bioactive components and developed into a drug named "Ji 731 Injection" in China since 1973. The large-scale production of the drug began in 1985 and approved by the Chinese FDA as "Polysaccharidum of G. lucidum Karst Injection" (Ling Bao Duo Tang Zhu She Ye) in 2000, which is applied intramuscularly. After more than forty years of clinical use, its efficacy, safety and long-term tolerability have been recognized by neurologists. It is one of a few non-hormonal drugs used for treating refractory myopathy. It is also used for combination therapy, which reduces the amount of glucocorticoid required for myopathy patient who is in remission. In addition, it reduces adverse reactions and improves the quality of life for cancer patients during chemotherapy. We found 81 qualified chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of GLPS both in English and in Chinese spanning from 1973 to 2017 by searching CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang database and PubMed. The molecular mechanisms underlying GLPS's antioxidant, anti-tumour, immune-modulatory, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and other activities are discussed. Both preclinical and clinical studies are either deliberated or indexed in the current article. We aimed at providing a molecular picture as well as a clinical basis to comprehend GLPS as one of few polysaccharide-based modern medicines with complicated chemical and pharmacological properties that prevent it from entering the world's market.

Spontaneous ventilation anaesthesia: total intravenous anaesthesia with local anaesthesia or thoracic epidural anaesthesia for thoracoscopic bullectomy.

OBJECTIVES: At present, few data exist regarding the comparisons of perioperative outcomes and recurrence of spontaneous ventilation (SV) video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) bullectomy using total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with local anaesthesia (LA) or thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA). We evaluated the feasibility and safety of TIVA with LA in the management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). METHODS: We conducted a single-institution retrospective analysis of patients undergoing VATS bullectomy between July 2011 and May 2015; 240 patients were included for analysis. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative variables of patients undergoing VATS bullectomy using TIVA-TEA (n = 140) were compared with those using TIVA-LA (n = 100). RESULTS: Baseline demographics were similar between groups. No patients in either group required conversion to thoracotomy. Three patients (TIVA-TEA: 2; TIVA-LA: 1) required conversion to intubated general anaesthesia. Both groups had comparable surgical duration, estimated blood loss, peak EtCO2 and lowest intraoperative SpO2 level. Postoperatively, thoracic drainage volume, duration of chest tube drainage and hospitalization cost did not differ between groups. The incidence of postoperative complications between groups was not significant (2% for TIVA-TEA vs 2% for TIVA-LA, P = 1.00). Pneumothorax recurrence rate was 3% in TIVA-TEA cases (n = 4) and 2% in TIVA-LA cases (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: SV-VATS bullectomy using TIVA with LA or TEA is technically feasible and safe. Both groups have comparable short-term outcomes and recurrence rates; TIVA-LA seems a valid alternative to TIVA-TEA for the surgical management of PSP under SV.

[Effect of Yixintai Granule on mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP, in renal medulla of chronic heart failure rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Yixintai Granule (YG) on mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP2 in renal medulla of chronic heart failure (CHF) rabbits. METHODS: CHF rat model was established by ear marginal vein injection of adriamycin. Successfully modeled rabbits were divided into the model group, the high (8.4 g/kg), middle (4.2 g/kg), and low dose (2.1 g/kg) YG group, and the Furosemide group (2 mg/kg). Besides, a normal control group was set up. Equal volume of physiological saline was administered to rabbits of the model group and the normal control group by gastrogavage. YG at different doses was administered to rabbits of the 3 YG groups by gastrogavage. The intervention lasted for 4 weeks, once per day. After treatment the urine volume and pathomorphological changes of renal medulla tissue were observed. mRNA and its protein expression levels of AQP2 were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the urine volume decreased significantly, mRNA and protein expression levels of renal medulla AQP2 increased significantly in the model group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the urine volume increased significantly, and mRNA and protein expression levels of renal medulla AQP2 decreased significantly in all medicated groups (all P < 0.01). Compared with the low dose YG group, the urine volume significantly increased and the mRNA expression level of renal medulla AQP2 significantly decreased in the middle and high dose YG groups (all P < 0.01). The expression level of AQP2 protein significantly decreased in the high dose YG group (P < 0.01). Pathological changes of the renal medulla was the most obviously seen in the model group. But they were alleviated to various degrees in all medicated groups. They were more obviously attenuated in the middle and high dose YG groups. CONCLUSION: YG could improve CHF possibly through down-regulating mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP2 in renal medulla, and elevating the urine volume.

Therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicine against neuroendocrinological diseases especially related to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.

This is a systemic review of plants used traditionally for neuroendocrinological diseases related to hypothalamus-pitutary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamus-pitutary-gland (HPG) axis. By searching from PubMed literature search system (1950-2013), Medline (1950-2013) and CNKI (China Journals of Full-text database; 1989-2013), 105 papers met the inclusion criteria were displayed in this review. 96 herbal drugs were classified into two parts which include hormones mainly related to HPA and HPG axis. The full scientific name of each herbal medicine, dose ranges and routes, models or diseases, affect on hormones and pertinent references are presented via synoptic tables. Herbal remedies that have demonstrable the activities of hormones have provided a potential to various diseases related to neunoendocrine and deserve increased attention in future studies. This review provides a basis for herbs use in neuroendocrinological diseases. The data collected here will benefit to further research associated to herbal medicines and hormones.

[Effect of musk soluble components on the growth, the differentiation and the transfection efficiency of rat neural stem cells (NSC) in vitro].

AIM: To investigate the effect of musk soluble components on the growth, the differentiation and the transfection efficiency of rat neural stem cell (NSC) in vitro. METHODS: The growth and the differentiation of rat NSC were observed when musk soluble components were added into the culture medium of NSC. Meanwhile, the pEGFP-C1, which expressed the enhanced GFP protein, was transfected into the NSC by method of electro- transfection. RESULTS: When NSC was treated with musk soluble components, the neurites were outgrowth around NSC and attached to the plate, and the neural spheres were disassociated. The glia-like cells appeared at the concentration of 0.3 per thousand. When the concentration of musk soluble components was lower than 3 per thousand, the transformative cells could recover. Furthermore, the efficiency of transfection pEGFP into NSC was remarkably increased after the treatment with musk. CONCLUSION: After the treatment of NSC with musk soluble components, the neural spheres were disassociated, and then attached to the plate. Musk soluble components could induce NSC differentiation into glia-like cells and improve the transfection efficiency of pEGFP-C1 in vitro.