The potential mechanism of ursolic acid in the treatment of bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the potential molecular mechanisms of ursolic acid (UA) in bladder cancer treatment using network pharmacology and molecular docking. METHODS: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and UniProt databases were used to screen potential targets of UA. Relevant bladder cancer target genes were extracted using the GeneCards database. All data were pooled and intercrossed to obtain common target genes of UA and bladder cancer. Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Molecular docking was conducted to verify the possible binding conformation between UA and bladder cancer cells. Then, in vitro experiments were performed to further validate the predicted results. RESULTS: UA exerts anti-tumor effects on bladder cancer through multiple targets and pathways. Molecular docking indicated that UA undergoes stable binding with the proteins encoded by the top six core genes (STAT3, VEGFA, CASP3, TP53, IL1B, and CCND1). The in vitro experiments verified that UA can induce bladder cancer cell apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study illustrated the potential mechanism of UA in bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results will provide scientific references for follow-up studies and clinical treatment.

Global transcriptome dissection of pollen-pistil interactions induced self-incompatibility in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.).

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a major issue in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.) breeding and production. Therefore, a better understanding of the dragon fruit SI mechanism is needed to improve breeding efficiency and ultimate production costs. To reveal the underlying mechanisms of SI in dragon fruit, plant anatomy, de novo RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis, and multiple bioinformatic approaches were used to analyze gene expression in the pistils of the self-pollinated and cross-pollinated dragon fruit flowers at different intervals of time after pollination. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed that the pollen of 'Hongshuijing', a self-incompatible dragon fruit variety (S. monacanthus), germinated on its own stigma. However, the pollen tube elongation has ceased at 1/2 of the style, confirming that dragon fruit experiences gametophyte self-incompatibility (GSI). We found that the pollen tube elongation in vitro was inhibited by self-style glycoproteins in the SI variety, indicating that glycoproteins were involved in SI. That is to say the female S factor should be homologous of S-RNase or PrsS (P. rhoeas stigma S factor), both of which are glycoproteins and are the female S factors of the two known GSI mechanism respectively. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that among the 43,954 assembled unigenes from pistil, there were six S-RNase genes, while 158 F-box genes were identified from a pollen transcriptomic dataset. There were no P. rhoeas type S genes discovered. Thus, the identified S-RNase and F-box represent the candidate female and male S genes, respectively. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the self and cross-pollinated pistils at different time intervals led to the identification of 6,353 genes. We then used a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to find some non-S locus genes in SI responses in dragon fruit. Additionally, 13 transcription factors (TFs) (YABBY4, ANL2, ERF43, ARF2, BLH7, KNAT6, PIF3, two OBF1, two HY5 and two LHY/CCA) were identified to be involved in dragon fruit GSI. Thus, we uncovered candidate S and non-S genes and predicted more SI-related genes for a more detailed investigation of the molecular mechanism of dragon fruit SI. Our findings suggest that dragon fruit possesses a GSI system and involves some unique regulators. This study lays the groundwork for future research into SI mechanisms in dragon fruit and other plant species.

Acronyrones A-C, unusual prenylated acetophenones from Acronychia pedunculata.

Two novel prenylated acetophenones with new carbon skeletons, acronyrones A and B (1 and 2), and a new analogue, acronyrone C (3), together with two known compounds (4 and 5) were isolated from the leaves of Acronychia pedunculata. Their structures with absolute configurations were identified by interpretation of spectroscopic data, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 represent the first example of prenylated acetophenones possessed a C7 (1) and a C6 (2) side chain, forming a 4-isobutylchroman-2-one unit and a 3-(2-methylpropylidene)benzofuran-2(3H)-one moiety with the acetophenone core, respectively. In addition, compound 4 exhibited significant dose-dependent transcriptional activation effect against retinoid X receptor-α (RXRα), and could be regarded as a new type of non-classical RXR ligand.

Performance and mechanisms exploration of nano zinc oxide (nZnO) on anaerobic decolorization by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

Although the ecological safety of nanomaterials is of widespread concern, their current ambient concentrations are not yet sufficient to cause serious toxic effects. Thus, the nontoxic bioimpact of nanomaterials in wastewater treatment has attracted increasing attention. In this study, the effect of nano zinc oxide (nZnO), one of the most widely used nanomaterials, on the anaerobic biodegradation of methyl orange (MO) by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was comprehensively investigated. High-dosage nZnO (>0.5 mg/L) caused severe toxic stress on S. oneidensis MR-1, resulting in the decrease in decolorization efficiency. However, nZnO at ambient concentrations could act as nanostimulants and promote the anaerobic removal of MO by S. oneidensis MR-1, which should be attributed to the improvement of decolorization efficiency rather than cell proliferation. The dissolved Zn2+ was found to contribute to the bioeffect of nZnO on MO decolorization. Further investigation revealed that low-dosage nZnO could promote the cell viability, membrane permeability, anaerobic metabolism, as well as related gene expression, indicating that nZnO facilitated rather than inhibited the anaerobic wastewater treatment under ambient conditions. Thus, this work provides a new insight into the bioeffect of nZnO in actual environment and facilitates the practical application of nanomaterials as nanostimulants in biological process.

Study on the molecular mechanism of nightshade in the treatment of colon cancer.

The present study attempts to explore the effective components, action targets, and potential mechanism of nightshade for colon cancer treatment. The relationship network diagram of 'traditional Chinese medicine - component - target - disease' was firstly constructed by employing network pharmacology. Experiments were conducted in vivo and in vitro to verify the influence of quercetin, the core effective component of nightshade, on colon cancer. Meanwhile, the regulatory effects of quercetin on core targets and main signaling pathways were determined. Based on the network diagram of 'traditional Chinese medicine - component - target - disease' and KEGG analysis, quercetin might exhibit certain effects on colon cancer treatment by regulating the biological behavior of core targets related to cell apoptosis in tumors including PIK3R1, PIK3CA, Akt1, and Akt2. Furthermore, quercetin has been demonstrated in vitro experiments to suppress the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells whereas promote their apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion. In vivo experiments indicate that quercetin had an antitumor effect on human colon cancer SW480 cells in nude mice bearing tumors. Furthermore, PIK3CA could bind to quercetin directly, which is validated by immunocoprecipitation. Therefore, the activation of PI3K/AKT phosphorylation was inhibited by quercetin and moreover the expressions of apoptotic proteins caspase-3 and Bcl2-Associated X protein (BAX) were up-regulated. In conclusion, the potential mechanism of nightshade lies in the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibited by quercetin, thus promoting apoptosis of colon cancer cells for colon cancer treatment.

Predicting the prognosis of patients with cardiogenic acute stroke based on the nomogram model / 国际外科学杂志

Objective:A nomogram model was constructed to predict poor prognosis and death risk of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with cardiogenic acute stroke.Methods:Selected 276 patients with cardiogenic acute stroke who were treated by Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2016 to June 2020 who underwent mechanical thrombectomy as the research objects, and recorded their general information and laboratory test results. On the 90th day, the subjects were divided into a good prognosis group ( n=122) and a poor prognosis group ( n=154) according to whether the prognosis was poor or not; according to whether they died, the subjects were divided into the survival group ( n=208) and the death group ( n=68). The differences in patient related data were compared, Logistic regression analysis was used to screen for risk factors for poor prognosis and death, the line chart prediction model was established, and the ability of the column chart model to predict poor prognosis and death was evaluated by using the subject work characteristic (ROC) curve. The independent factors selected by multivariate regression analysis were used as predictors to construct a nomogram model to predict the prognosis of mechanical thrombectomy surgery in patients with cardiogenic acute stroke. The degree of calibration and validity of the nomogram model established in this study Make an evaluation. The measurement data that obey the normal distribution were represented by the Mean ± standard deviation ( ± s), and the two independent sample t test was used for the comparison between groups; The comparison of enumeration data between groups adopted chi-square test. Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age ( OR=1.165; 95% CI: 1.046-1.284; P=0.001), diabetes ( OR=1.123; 95% CI: 1.021-1.225; P<0.001), hemorrhage transformation ( OR= 2.394; 95% CI: 1.857-2.931; P=0.001), recanalization ( OR=0.418; 95% CI: 0.410-0.552; P=0.001), NIHSS score ( OR=1.502; 95% CI: 1.373-1.631); P=0.001), neutrophil count (NEUT) ( OR=1.024; 95% CI: 1.009-1.139; P=0.001), NEUT/lymphocyte count (NLR) ( OR=1.235; 95% CI: 1.112-1.358; P=0.001), D-dimer ( OR=1.939; 95% CI: 1.328-2.551; P=0.001) was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with cardiogenic acute stroke; age ( OR=1.153; 95% CI: 1.080-1.226; P<0.001), hemorrhage transformation ( OR=6.330; 95% CI: 4.904-7.754; P=0.001), recanalization ( OR=0.418; 95% CI: 0.323-0.514; P=0.001), NIHSS score ( OR=2.051; 95% CI: 1.784-2.338; P=0.001), NEUT ( OR=1.399; 95% CI: 1.275-1.523; P=0.001), NLR ( OR=1.528; 95% CI: 1.414-1.642; P=0.001), D-dimer ( OR=2.391; 95% CI: 1.948-2.834; P=0.001) was an independent predictor of death in patients with cardiogenic acute stroke. The established nomogram model predicted poor prognosis and the area under the ROC curve of death were 0.814 (95% CI: 0.800-0.828) and 0.842 (95% CI: 0.828-0.857). Conclusions:Age, hemorrhage transformation, recanalization, NIHSS score, NEUT, NLR, and D-dimer are all important for the prognosis of patients with cardiogenic acute stroke by mechanical thrombectomy. Diabetes only has a suggestive effect on poor prognosis. The nomogram model established based on these factors can effectively help clinicians evaluate the prognosis of patients, formulate reasonable treatment plans for them, and improve the prognosis.

Research on supervision strategy of high risk areas of hospital incorrupt government based on traditional chinese medical theory of preventing diseases / 中华医院管理杂志

In recent years, the frequency of corruption incidents in public hospitals in China has increased, and it is particularly important to strengthen the construction of hospital incorrupt politics. Based on the traditional chinese medical theory of preventing diseases, the author deeply discusse the prevention and control strategies in high-risk areas of public hospitals incorrupt from 3 aspects: prevention before disease onset, prevention of disease from exacerbating and prevention of recovery from relapse. Based on the common problems found in the political inspection of Beijing municipal health system and large-scale hospitals in the latest years, an incorrupt government risks list of high-risk areas in hospital had been sorted out; A tertiary hospital and its 4 entrusted hospitals were selected to conduct self-inspection on the key links of important power activities and authority behaviors in accordance with the incorrupt government risks list, and putting forward targeted supervision strategies for these problems. Since the implementation of supervision strategy for high-risk areas in the tertariy hospital and its 4 entrusted hospitals in May 2021, the number of letters and visits in the 5 aspects of medicine procurement, equipment procurement, consumables and reagents procurement, engineering construction and logistics service procurement were significantly reduced. Based on the traditional chinese medical theory of preventing diseases, the supervision strategy in high-risk areas could effectively improve the pertinence, operability and effectiveness of discipline inspection and supervision in hospital, and provide a reference for the construction of incorrupt government in public hospitals.

Shaoyao decoction attenuates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, macrophage and NLRP3 inflammasome activation through the MKP1/NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Shaoyao decoction (SYD), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription that originated in the Jin-Yuan Dynasty, has shown effects in treating ulcerative colitis. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. We combined network pharmacology with molecular biology technology to detect the mechanism underlying the effect of SYD on ulcerative colitis. We combined network pharmacology with molecular biology technology to detected the further mechanism in SYD effect on ulcerative colitis. PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which SYD exerts a protective effect against ulcerative colitis in vivo and in vitro. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We focused on two aspects of the mechanism by which SYD relieves ulcerative colitis, regulation of the MAPK cascade and the NF-κB signaling pathway, through analysis of the "active ingredient-target-disease" network followed by GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis according to network pharmacology. Mice with ulcerative colitis underwent 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and the RAW 264.7 cell model was used to identify important targets. RESULTS: We found that after 5% DSS treatment, the inflammation indexes and the expression of NLRP3-related proteins were increased concomitant with the loss of mucins and occludin. Treatment with SYD (2.25 g/kg, BW) significantly improved the expression of mucins and occludin after DSS at the protein and transcriptional levels. Furthermore, SYD treatment significantly reduced NF-κB P65 and P38 expression, thus exerting a great antinecrotic effect, as revealed by TUNEL staining and Western blotting. The beneficial effects of SYD were almost canceled by NSC 95397 (an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP1)) after DSS treatment in vivo or LPS treatment in vitro. In addition, treatment with SYD reduced caspase-1 activity and rescued the release of ASC and GSDMD, thus inhibiting the assembly of NLRP3 and maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier. We also conducted in vitro experiments in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell model and found that cells incubated with 1 mg/ml SYD for 24 h possessed the highest cell viability. Next, we incubated 1 mg/ml SYD for 24 h after treatment with 1 µg/ml LPS for 6 h. We showed that 1 mg/ml SYD displayed anti-inflammatory and anti-necrotic effects through the NLRP3, NF-κB P65 and P38 pathways, and the effects of SYD were also inhibited by 10 nM NSC 95397. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that SYD has protective effects against ulcerative colitis and alleviates pyroptosis by inhibiting the MKP1/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Phloroglucinol-derived lipids from the leaves of Syzygium cumini and their neuroprotective activities.

Based on the typical HPLC-UV-MS profiles and characteristic 1H NMR signals, twelve new phloroglucinol-derived lipids (1-12), featuring a long linear aliphatic side chain, together with three known ones (13-15) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the leaves of Syzygium cumini. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR spectroscopic analyses and mass spectrometric data. Compounds 1-5 characterize an enolizable ß,ß'-tricarbonyl motif with a cyclohexa-3,5-dien-1-one core that is hitherto undescribed in phloroglucinol-derived lipids. Compounds 4 and 10-12 are novel phloroglucinol-derived lipids containing an uncommon methylene interrupted trans double bond in their polyunsaturated aliphatic side chains. A polyketide biogenetic pathway for those phloroglucinol-derived lipids was also proposed. In addition, the isolates were evaluated for their neuroprotective activities against oxygen-glucose deprivation and re­oxygenation (OGD/R)-induced Neuro-2a cell injury. Notably, compounds 1, 5, and 10-12 significantly improved viability of Neuro-2a cells after OGD/R damage.

Cedrus atlantica Extract Suppress Glioblastoma Growth through Promotion of Genotoxicity and Apoptosis: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in humans, exhibiting highly infiltrative growth and drug resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Cedrus atlantica (CAt) extract has been shown to decrease postoperative pain and inhibit the growth of K562 leukemia cells. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-GBM activity and molecular mechanism of CAt extract in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that CAt extract greatly suppressed GBM cells both in vitro and in vivo and enhanced the survival rate in subcutaneous and orthotopic animal models. Moreover, CAt extract increased the level of ROS and induced DNA damage, resulting in cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and cell apoptosis. Western blotting results indicated that CAt extract regulates p53/p21 and CDK4/cyclin D1 protein expression and activates extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis. Furthermore, CAt extract enhanced the cytotoxicity of Temozolomide and decreased AKT/mTOR signaling by combination treatment. In toxicity assays, CAt extract exhibited low cytotoxicity toward normal cells or organs in vitro and in vivo. CAt extract suppresses the growth of GBM by induction of genotoxicity and activation of apoptosis. The results of this study suggest that CAt extract can be developed as a therapeutic agent or adjuvant for GBM treatment in the future.

Rhodomentosones A and B: Two Pairs of Enantiomeric Phloroglucinol Trimers from Rhodomyrtus tomentosa and Their Asymmetric Biomimetic Synthesis.

Rhodomentosones A and B (1 and 2), two pairs of novel enantiomeric phloroglucinol trimers featuring a unique 6/5/5/6/5/5/6-fused ring system were isolated from Rhodomyrtus tomentosa. Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and ECD calculation. The bioinspired syntheses of 1 and 2 were achieved in six steps featuring an organocatalytic asymmetric dehydroxylation/Michael addition/Kornblum-DeLaMare rearrangement/ketalization cascade reaction. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited promising antiviral activities against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Structurally diverse alkaloids from Buxus sempervirens with cardioprotective activity.

Extensive phytochemical study of the methanol extract of twigs and leaves of Buxus sempervirens resulted in the identification of 17 Buxus alkaloids, including 12 new ones, namely buxusemines A-L (1-12). Their structures were delineated by detailed analysis of the HRESIMS and NMR data, as well as quantum chemical NMR calculations. Buxusemine A (1) represents the second Buxus alkaloid with a unique spiro[4.6]undecatriene moiety, buxusemines B-C (2-3) are a rarely occurring class of Buxus alkaloids featured with an additional five-membered ring through the ether or lactone linkage between C-10 and C-23, and buxusemines D-F (4-6) are another rare type of Buxus alkaloids with an epoxy motif. In the assessment of their bioactivities, buxusemine F (6) and buxanoldine (17) displayed more potent protective effects than the positive control cyclovirobuxinum D in the doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury model.

Resting-State Functional Connectivity and Brain Network Abnormalities in Depressive Patients with Suicidal Ideation.

Our study aimed to investigate whether changes in brain function measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be detected among individuals with depressive disorders and suicidal ideation. The association between depression severity and brain images is also discussed. Our study recruited 111 participants in three groups: 35 depressive patients with suicidal ideation (SI), 32 depressive patients without suicidal ideation (NS), and 44 healthy controls (HCs). All participants were scanned using 3T MRI to obtain resting-state functional images, and functional connectivity (FC), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and graph theoretical analysis (GTA) were performed. We found functional activity differences, such as the hippocampus and thalamus, in the SI group compared with the NS group. We also concluded lower activity in the thalamus and cuneus regions were related to suicidal ideation. We also found several functional connectivity of the brain areas, such as hippocampus, cuneus, and frontal regions, in the SI group correlated with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A graph theoretical analysis (GTA) and network-based statistical (NBS) analysis revealed different topological organization and slightly better local segregation of the brain network in healthy participants compared with those in depressive patients with suicidal ideation. We suggest that brain functional connectivity may be affected in depressive patients with suicidal ideation.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Heweitang in Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia Due to Liver-stomach Disharmony / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of modified Heweitang in the treatment of functional dyspepsia （FD） due to liver-stomach disharmony and its regulation of gastrointestinal hormones and brain-gut peptides. Method:One hundred and twenty-six eligible patients were randomized into a control group （62 cases） and an observation group （64 cases）. Patients in the observation group took the modified Heweitang granules with warm water 30 min after meals， 10 g/time， 3 times/day， while those in the control group took the corresponding placebo granules at the same dose in the same manner. The treatment in both groups lasted for four weeks. Before and after treatment， the four main symptoms including postprandial satiety， early satiety， upper abdominal pain， and upper abdominal burning sensation were scored， followed by the examination of gastric emptying （GE） and the scoring of the functional digestive disorders quality of life questionnaire （FDDQL）， 7-point global overall symptom scale （GOSS）， and liver-stomach disharmony syndrome. The cholecystokinin （CCK）， motilin （MTL）， gastrin （GAS）， serotonin （5-HT）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， and substance P （SP） levels before and after treatment were detected， and then the safety was evaluated. Result:After treatment， the scores of the four main symptoms， GOSS， and liver-stomach disharmony syndrome in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， while the GE rate and FDDQL scores in the observation group were higher （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The CCK， GAS， 5-HT， and VIP levels of the observation group declined as compared with those of the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， whereas the MTL and SP levels were elevated （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. After treatment， the overall response rate in the observation group was （51/57）89.47%， higher than （15/56）26.79% in the control group （<italic>χ</italic>²=45.696， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. No drug-related adverse reactions were found during the trial. Conclusion:The modified Heweitang is efficient and safe in relieving the main and related symptoms and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome， regulating the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones and brain-gut peptides， promoting GE rate， and improving the quality of life of patients with FD due to liver-stomach disharmony.

Esculetin protects against early sepsis via attenuating inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and STAT1/STAT3 signaling / 中国天然药物

Esculetin, a natural derivative from the traditional and widely-used Chinese medicinal herb Cortex Fraxini, has a variety of pharmacological effects, especially in anti-inflammation. However, it is not clear whether esculetin has a therapeutic effect on sepsis. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and protective effects of esculetin on early sepsis. The results showed that the lung injury was significantly relieved with the treatment of esculetin, accompanied with the restrained production of inflammatory factors including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CCL2 and iNOS during the early phase of E.coli-induced sepsis. Of note, activation of NF-κB and STAT1/STAT3 signals, the main upstream signals of many inflammatory factors, were attenuated by esculetin in both lung tissues from septic mice and LPS-stimulated macrophage. These findings suggested that the protection of esculetin against early sepsis should be related to its anti-inflammatory effect, which was at least partly due to its inhibition on NF-κB and STAT1/STAT3 signaling pathway in macrophage. Thus, esculetin could serve as a potential therapeutic agent by rebalancing innate immune response in macrophage for the treatment of early sepsis.

Comprehensive evaluation of NAODESHENG by combining UPLC quantitative fingerprint and antioxidant activity.

The screening of marker compound is of great significance to the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). One approach which combines fingerprint and biological evaluation has developed rapidly. Multi-wavelength fusion fingerprints and antioxidant activity screening are integrated in this study to evaluate the quality of NAODESHENG. Characteristic multiwavelength fusion fingerprints of 14 batches of samples were generated at five different wavelengths and evaluated by quantitative fingerprinting with ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). In the quantitative fingerprinting method, 21 components in NAODESHENG were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by external standard method. The antioxidant activities of these 21 components was determined by pre-column antioxidant activity test. Multivariate statistical methods such as hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis(PCA) was used to reduce the dimensions and variables from a large number of original data to screening marker compound with bioactivity. Based on the above results, it is suggested that 3'-Methoxy Puerarin and 11 other components should be used as the quality marker of NAODESHENG. This study demonstrates the feasibility of multi-wavelength fusion fingerprinting combined with antioxidant activity analysis, which associates quality control with bioactivity, providing a reliable and efficient method for quantitative assessment of TCM quality consistency.

Effects of Chinese herbal decoction on traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, menstrual cycle and sex hormone levels in amenorrhea patients with polycystic ovary syndrome / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the effects of Chinese herbal decoction on traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, menstrual cycle and sex hormone levels in amenorrhea patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.Methods:A total of 124 amenorrhea patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who received treatment in The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang, China between December 2016 and December 2018 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either oral metformin hydrochloride and clomiphene citrate (control group, n = 62) or oral metformin hydrochloride and clomiphene citrate combined with Chinese herbal decoction (observation group, n = 62). Clinical effective rate and remission of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome were compared between control and observation groups. After treatment, recovery of menstrual cycle, ovulation rate, change of sex hormone level relative to before treatment, and the incidence of adverse reactions were determined in each group. Results:Total clinical effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [96.77% (60/62) vs. 77.42% (48/62), χ2 = 12.817, P < 0.001]. Total effective rate in term of TCM syndrome in the control group was significantly higher than that in the observation group [83.87% (52/62) vs. 43.55% (27/62), χ2 = 21.800, P < 0.001]. After treatment, serum luteinizing hormone, free testosterone, luteinizing hormone / follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone levels in the observation group were (4.28 ± 2.04) U/L, (1.93 ± 0.07) nmol/L, (3.17 ± 1.07), (240.32 ± 30.26) pmol/L, (3.17 ± 1.07) U/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [(6.45 ± 2.11) U/L, (3.27 ± 0.07) nmol/L, (5.73 ± 2.46), (300.32 ± 31.26) pmol/L, (5.12 ± 1.07) U/L), t = 5.822, 106.583, 7.514, 10.859, 10.147, all P < 0.001]. Ovulation rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [80.65% (50/62) vs. 51.61% (32/62), χ2 = 11.666, P = 0.001]. Periodic ovulation rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [91.94% (57/62) vs. 35.48% (22/62), χ2 = 14.528, P < 0.001]. In the observation group, the proportion of patients having edema, gastrointestinal reaction, vomiting, and diarrhea was 4.84% (3/62), 6.45% (4/62), 11.29% (7/62) and 11.29% (7/62), respectively, and they were 9.68% (6/62), 12.90% (8/62), 19.35% (12/62) and 25.80% (16/62)], respectively in the control group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Chinese herbal decoction can help regulate the hormone balance in amenorrhea patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, promote ovulation, eliminate amenorrhea, increase the curative effects on traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, and increase the rate of menstrual cycle recovery.

[Construction and application of a new index for quantifying root erosion resistance: Root framework erosion resistance index]. / ä¸€ç§é‡åŒ–æ ¹ç³»æŠ—ä¾µèš€æŒ‡æ ‡çš„æž„å»ºåŠåº”ç”¨:æ ¹ç³»æž„æž¶æŠ—èš€æŒ‡æ•°.

The matching of root system is a key factor driving the resistance of plant community to soil erosion. In this study, Amoeba graphical method was used to establish a root framework erosion resistance index (ERIrf, %) from three dimensions of root morphology, quantity and spatial concerns to quantify the effective of root erosion resistance by plant community. We analyzed root growth characteristics of plant community from abandoned land, Caragana korshinskii and Robinia pseudoacacia communities in loess hilly area. The results showed that the parameters of constructing the root framework erosion resistance index included the acting coefficient of root framework (α), root density (Rb, kg·m-3), root framework degree (S), soil bulk density (ρ, g·cm-3), and soil and water conservation coefficient (φ). The equation could be expressed as ERIrf=α×Rd×S×φρ×100%. This root framework erosion resistance index well represented the erosion resistance effects of plant root system. Logarithmic function could better fit the relationship between soil erosion resis-tance ability and root framework erosion resistance index. Our findings would provide scientific reference for the construction of anti-erosion vegetation community and assessment of ecological construction.

Extract Derived from Cedrus atlantica Acts as an Antitumor Agent on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth In Vitro and In Vivo.

Cedrus atlantica is widely used in herbal medicine. However, the anti-cancer activity of C. atlantica extract (CAt extract) has not been clarified in hepatocellular carcinoma. In the study, we elucidated the anti-hepatoma capacity of CAt extract on HCC in vitro and in vivo. To explore the anti-hepatoma mechanisms of the CAt extract in vitro, HCC and normal cells were treated with the CAt extract, which showed marked inhibitory effects on HCC cells in a dose-dependent manner; in contrast, the CAt extract treatment was less cytotoxic to normal cells. In addition, our results indicate that the CAt extract induced apoptosis via caspase-dependent and independent apoptosis pathways. Furthermore, the CAt extract inhibited HCC tumor cell growth by restraining cell cycle progression, and it reduced the signaling of the AKT, ERK1/2, and p38 pathways. In the xenograft model, the CAt extract suppressed HCC tumor cell growth and prolonged lifespan by inhibiting PCNA protein expression, repressing part of the VEGF-induced autocrine pathway, and triggering strong expression of cleaved caspase-3, which contributed to cell apoptosis. Moreover, the CAt extract did not induce any obvious changes in pathological morphology or body weight, suggesting it had no toxicity. CAt extract exerted anti-tumor effects on HCC in vitro and in vivo. Thus, CAt extract could be used as a potential anti-cancer therapeutic agent against HCC.

Caffeic acid oligomers from Mesona chinensis and their In Vitro antiviral activities.

The phytochemical study of the aerial part of Mesona chinensis led to the isolation of five new caffeic acid oligomers (1-5), as well as four known analogues (6-9). The structures of the new compounds including their absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, chemical method, and quantum-chemical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. Among the isolates, compound 7 showed significant in vitro antiviral activity on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).