Biosynthesis of Octacosamicin A: Uncommon Starter/extender Units and Product Releasing via Intermolecular Amidation.

Octacosamicin A is an antifungal metabolite featuring a linear polyene-polyol chain flanked by N-hydroxyguanidine and glycine moieties. We report here that sub-inhibitory concentrations of streptomycin elicited the production of octacosamicin A in Amycolatopsis azurea DSM 43854T . We identified the biosynthetic gene cluster (oca BGC) that encodes a modular polyketide synthase (PKS) system for assembling the polyene-polyol chain of octacosamicin A. Our analysis suggested that the N-hydroxyguanidine unit originates from a 4-guanidinobutyryl-CoA starter unit, while the PKS incorporates an α-hydroxyketone moiety using a (2R)-hydroxymalonyl-CoA extender unit. The modular PKS system contains a non-canonical terminal module that lacks thioesterase (TE) and acyl carrier protein (ACP) domains, indicating the biosynthesis is likely to employ an unconventional and cryptic off-loading mechanism that attaches glycine to the polyene-polyol chain via an intermolecular amidation reaction.

Mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Prescription in Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Improving Apoptosis of Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells Based on PERK/ATF4/CHOP / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yishen Tongluo prescription （YSTLP） on apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells and explore the mechanism based on endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）/activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4）/transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）. MethodThe db/db mice were randomly divided into model group， valsartan group （10 mg·kg-1）， and low， middle， high-dose YSTLP groups （1， 2.5， 5 g·kg-1）. Samples were collected after eight weeks of drug intervention. In addition， db/m mice in the same litter served as the control group. Human renal tubular epithelial cells （HK-2） were cultured in vitro and divided into the control group， advanced glycated end-product （AGE） group， and AGE + low， middle， and high-dose YSTLP groups （100， 200， 400 mg·L-1）. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） staining was used to detect the apoptosis rate of HK-2 cells. Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay was conducted to detect the viability of HK-2 cells. Calcium fluorescence probe staining and luciferase reporter gene method were adopted to detect the luciferase activity of folded protein response element （UPRE） and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Immunohistochemical （IHC） analysis was carried out to measure the protein expressions of phosphorylated PKR （p-PERK）， CHOP， and ATF4. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of CHOP and X-box binding protein 1 （XBP1） in mouse kidney and HK-2 cells. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression level of p-PERK， PERK， CHOP， ATF4， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax）， and cleaved Caspase-3 in mouse kidney and HK-2 cells. ResultIn the cellular assay， HK-2 cell viability was significantly reduced， and the apoptosis rate was elevated in the AGE group compared with the control group （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis-related factor Bcl-2 were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， and those of Bax were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The protein expression level of cleaved Caspase-3 was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the AGE group， YSTLP administration treatment resulted in elevated cell viability and reduced apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Bcl-2 were significantly elevated in a time- and dose-dependent manner （P<0.01）， and those of Bax were significantly reduced in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The protein expression level of cleaved Caspase-3 was significantly reduced in a time- and dose-dependent manner （P<0.01）. The intracellular Ca2+ imbalance and UPRE luciferase fluorescence intensity were increased in the AGE group compared with the control group （P<0.01）. The mRNA levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related factors CHOP and XBP1 were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-PERK， CHOP， and ATF4 were significantly increased （P<0.05）. Compared with the AGE group， YSTLP effectively improved intracellular Ca2+ imbalance in HK-2 cells and decreased UPRE luciferase fluorescence intensity in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.01）. It reduced the mRNA levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related factors CHOP and XBP1 （P<0.01） and the protein expression levels of intracellular p-PERK， CHOP， and ATF4 in a dose- and time-dependent manner （P<0.01）. In animal experiments， the protein expression level of Bcl-2 was significantly reduced（P<0.01）， and that of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax was significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Bcl-2 was dose-dependently elevated， and that of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax was dose-dependently decreased in the YSTLP groups compared with the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the mRNA expression levels of CHOP and XBP1 were significantly elevated in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-PERK， CHOP， and ATF4 were significantly increased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， YSTLP significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of CHOP and XBP1 （P<0.01） and the protein expression levels of p-PERK， CHOP， and ATF4 （P<0.01）. ConclusionYSTLP can effectively inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress and improve apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells， and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PERK/AFT4/CHOP pathway.

Screening of quantitative preparation quality markers of Zhibao Sanbian Wan / 药学学报

On the basis of the qualitative preparation quality markers of Zhibao Sanbian Wan (ZBSBW), we screened out the quantitative markers and evaluated the content consistency of ZBSBW. A method capable of simultaneously determining 34 compounds in ZBSBW was established based on HPLC-MS/MS, and 16 batches of ZBSBW were simultaneously analyzed by this method. Furthermore, we explored a general strategy for analyzing the component migration in preparation, plasma, brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. The methodological investigation was confirmed by linear range, recovery (85.10%-105.07%), precision (RSD: 1.37%-4.58%), stability, and repeatability (3.00%-12.45%), the established method was suitable for the detection and quantification of the compounds in ZBSBW. The contents of compounds in ZBSBW were all lower than 1 mg·g-1, and the contents and daily dose of nystose were the highest, followed by echinacoside, paeoniflorin, osthole and paeonol. The results of systematic clustering showed that the contents were consistent for ordinary preparations of ZBSBW. The principal component analysis showed that the components of berberine, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rg1, pinoresinol diglucoside and tenuifolin had large variation, which contributed significantly to the grouping. The contents of echinacoside, verbascoside, polygalaxanthone Ⅲ, β-ecdysterone, osthole, alisol B 23-acetate, liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid were stable from batch to batch. The animal experiment results showed that osthole, paeonol and liquiritin in ZBSBW could be absorbed into the blood and enter the brain tissue by passing through the blood-brain barrier. All animal studies were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (No. 2020B071). The above compounds contributed the quantitative preparation quality markers of ZBSBW. In conclusion, the HPLC-MS/MS method established in this study was sensitive, accurate and rapid, and could be used for simultaneous quantification of 34 compounds and content consistency evaluation of multiple batches of preparations in ZBSBW. The result provided a methodological basis for the screening of quantitative preparation quality markers and material basis research of ZBSBW.

Design and development of a multifunctional moxibustion treatment machine based on heat-sensitive moxibustion therapy / 中国针灸

A multifunctional moxibustion treatment machine is designed and developed to assist the heat-sensitive moxibustion therapy. Through the motion control of the stepping motor by programmable logic controller (PLC), the automatic control is obtained for the acupoint detection of heat-sensitive moxibustion therapy and the manual operation of moxibustion. The skin temperature is monitored in real-time, using infrared non-contact temperature measurement technology. Based on the deviation of the temperature set value and the monitoring one, the distance between the moxibustion device and the exerted region is adjusted automatically by PLC so that the temperature is controlled practically. The multifunctional moxibustion treatment machine based on the heat-sensitive moxibustion therapy is capable of the operation control of mild moxibustion, circling moxibustion, sparrow-pecking moxibustion and along-meridian moxibustion techniques, as well as real-time monitoring of skin temperature. The temperature change curve of this machine is coincident with that obtained by the manual operation of heat-sensitive moxibustion. This multifunctional moxibustion treatment machine assists the delivery of heat-sensitive moxibustion therapy and it is satisfactory in temperature control and precise in operation.

Effect of Yifei Huatan Decoction on Relieving Airway Hyperviscosity in Asthmatic Rats with Spleen Deficiency Syndrome and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Yifei Huatan decoction on relieving airway hyperviscosity in asthmatic rats with spleen deficiency syndrome and its mechanism. MethodFifty-five SPF level SD rats at 8-9 week of age were used to induce asthma with spleen deficiency syndrome by animal modeling of traditional Chinese medicine combined with asthma of western medicine. After successful modeling， the rats were divided into model group， dexamethasone group， low， medium， and high-dose Yifei Huatan decoction groups by random number table method， and 11 clean SD rats at 8-9 week of age were recorded as a normal group. Rats in the dexamethasone group were given 0.087 5 mg kg-1 dexamethasone acetate by gavage. Rats in the low， medium， and high-dose Yifei Huatan decoction groups were given 0.8， 1.6， 3.2 g kg-1 Yifei Huatan decoction liquid extract by gavage， respectively. Rats in the model group and the normal group were given 10 mL kg-1 distilled water. The medicine were given once per day for 8 w， and the general situation of each group was observed. The levels of interleukin-4 （IL-4）， IL-13， and interferon-γ （IFN-γ） in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The pathological changes in lung tissues of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff （AB-PAS） staining was used to detect the hyperplasia of airway goblet cells and mucus secretion in rats. The mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）， Smad2， Smad3， mucin 5AC （MUC5AC）， and mucin 5B （MUC5B） in the lung tissues of rats were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The protein expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， Smad3， MUC5AC， and MUC5B in the lung tissues of rats were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， rats in the model group showed the symptoms of spleen deficiency syndrome， such as decreased body weight， muscle emaciation， decreased food intake， increased water intake， increased anal temperature， tiredness， and decreased swimming endurance， accompanied by dyspnea symptoms such as wheezing and nodding. As compared with the normal group， IL-4 and IL-13 levels in the BALF of the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the IFN-γ level was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. In the model group， a large number of inflammatory cells were observed in the mucosa and submucosa of the airway， and the smooth muscle of the trachea was significantly thickened. The hyperplasia， deformation， and exfoliation of various epithelial cells were observed in the mucosa， and the pathological scores of lung tissue increased significantly （P<0.01） in the model group. A large number of goblet cells were observed in the airway with the formation of plenty of mucous thrombus in the model group， and the positive relative staining area of airway， and mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， Smad3， MUC5AC， and MUC5B were significantly increased （P<0.01）. As compared with the model group， IL-4 and IL-13 levels in BALF of the dexamethasone group and the Yifei Huatan decoction groups decreased， while the IFN-γ level increased. The inflammatory cell infiltration in airway mucosa and submucosa， the thickening of tracheal smooth muscle， the hyperplasia， deformation， and exfoliation of epithelial cells in mucosa were gradually decreased， and the pathological scores of lung tissues decreased significantly （P<0.01） in the dexamethasone group and the Yifei Huatan decoction groups. Goblet cell proliferation gradually decreased， and the positive relative staining area of airway， and mRNA and protein relative expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， Smad3， MUC5AC， and MUC5B decreased with statistically significant difference （P<0.05， P<0.01）. There was no significant difference in the above indexes in the dexamethasone group and the Yifei Huatan decoction low-dose group. The above indexes were dose-dependent in the low， medium， and high-dose Yifei Huatan decoction groups. ConclusionYifei Huatan decoction reduces airway hyperviscosity in asthmatic rats with spleen deficiency syndrome， which may be related to the inhibition of TGF-β1， Smad2， Smad3， MUC5AC， and MUC5B expressions， down-regulation of IL-4 and IL-13 levels， and up-regulation of IFN-γ level.

Overview of systematic reviews of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules / 中国中药杂志

At present, there have been many clinical trials and systematic reviews/Meta-analysis proving the good clinical efficacy of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules in the treatment of respiratory diseases, while comprehensive discussion is still required. This article overviews and analyzes the systematic reviews/Meta-analysis of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules to provide evidence support for clinical practice. The systematic reviews/Meta-analysis of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules were searched from CBM, Wanfang, CNKI, VIP, PubMed, EMbase and Cochrane Library. The AMSTAR 2 scale and GRADE system were respectively employed for the evaluation of methodological quality and the grading of evidence quality. Finally, 8 systematic reviews/Meta-analysis published during 2018-2021 were included for analysis. The diseases involved include acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, community-acquired pneumonia, acute tonsillitis, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and acute upper respiratory tract infection. The number of included RCTs studies ranged from 8 to 25. The results showed that Shufeng Jiedu Capsules combined with western medicine routine had better therapeutic effect than the latter alone in the treatment of the above five diseases. The reported adverse reactions caused by Shufeng Jiedu Capsules were mainly gastrointestinal discomforts such as mild nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, with low incidence and mild symptoms, which can be relieved by drug withdrawal. The methodological quality of the included studies was extremely low, and the outcome indicators were mainly of low and very low grades. The efficacy and safety of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules in the clinical treatment of diseases still need to be verified based on more high-quality studies. The relevant clinical research and systematic review/Meta-analysis should pay more attention to methodological quality and reporting standards and strengthen the scientificity of research.

Research progress of gut microbiota in the antidepressant effect of traditional Chinese medicine / 药学学报

Depression is a common emotional mental disorder. Patients not only continuously showed depression, pessimism and apathy in mood, but also have gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia and constipation in body. Widely attention has been also received in the potential biological role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of depression. It plays an important role in the interaction between the intestine and the brain, not only affecting the intestinal barrier function, but also maintaining the homeostasis of host through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. In recent years, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the advantages of obvious therapeutic effects and few side effects when treating neuropsychiatric diseases, such as depression. The pharmacological mechanism of TCM exerting antidepressant effects by regulating the structure of gut microbiota, reducing displacement, and maintaining the normal function of gut microbiota has been also widely concerned. By investigating the relevant literature in recent years, this paper summarizes the antidepressant effect of TCM in different directions such as Chinese medicine monomer, single medicine and compound medicine. And this paper reviews the antidepressant effects and mechanisms of TCM at different levels, such as the correction of gut microbiota structure, the regulation of immunity, the transplantation of gut microbiota and the regulation of its metabolites. This paper will provide a basis for further explaining the mechanism of gut microbiota in depression and the mechanism of antidepressant effect of TCM.

Regulatory T Cells: A New Target of Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Atherosclerosis.

Inflammation and immune disorders are integral to the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis (AS). With the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in immune regulation attracting attention, it has been widely accepted that Treg decrease and dysfunction are involved in AS pathogenesis. Chinese medicine (CM) has the advantages of being dual-directional, multi-targeted, and having minimal side effects in immune regulation. The anti-atherosclerosis effects of CM via Treg modulation have been revealed in clinical and animal studies. Therefore, this article reviews existing research on Tregs, the relationship between Tregs and AS, and the progress of CM for treating and prevention of atherosclerotic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases by regulating Tregs. Although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, CM treatment targeting Treg cells might provide a promising and novel future approach for prevention and treatment of AS.

Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Ventricular Arrhythmia in Myocardial Hypertrophy Model Rabbits and CaMK Ⅱ Expression in Cardiac Tissue / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study th e effects of dexmedetomidine on ventricular arrhythmia in myocardial hypertrophy model rabbits and the expression of calcium ion /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ（CaMKⅡ）in myocardial tissue of rabbits. METHODS： The rabbits were randomly divided into sham operation group ， model group ， dexmedetomidine low-dose ， medium-dose and high-dose groups （10，25，50 μ g/kg），CaMK Ⅱ inhibitor KN- 93 group （10 mg/kg），high-dose of dexmedetomidine+KN-93 group（50 μg/kg+10 mg/kg），with 10 rabbits in each group. Except for the sham operation group ，other groups received abdominal aortic coarctation to induce myocardial hypertrophy model. After surgery ，administration groups were given relevant dose of dexmedetomidine or/and intraperitoneal injection of KN- 93；sham operation group and model group were given constant volume of normal saline intravenously ，once every other day ，for consecutive 8 weeks. After last medication ， programmed stimulation was used to induce ventricular arrhythmia. The induction rate of early posterior depolarization （EAD）and tip torsion type ventricular tachycardia （Tdp）were recorded. Left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）and left ventricular shortener fraction（FS）were measured. QT interval ，transventricular wall repolarization dispersion （TDR）and transmembrane 90％ action potential duration （APD90）of endocardial and epicardial cardiomyocytes in wedge-shaped myocardium were recorded. The ratio of heart weight to body weight （HW/BW）and the thickness of left ventricular wall （LVT）were measured and calculated. The cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes ，mRNA expression of ANP and BNP as well as protein expression of CaMK Ⅱ and p-CaMK Ⅱ in myocardial tissue was measured. RESULTS ：Compared with sham operation group ，the induction rate of EAD and Tdp ，HW/BM， LVT，mRNA expression of ANP and BNP and protein relative expression of CaMK Ⅱ and p-CaMK Ⅱ in cardiac tissue were all increased significantly ，while LVEF and FS were decreased significantly ；QT interval ，APD90 of endocardial and epicardial cardiomyocytes were all prolonged significantly ；TDR was increased significantly ，while cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes was increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group ，induction rate of EAD and Tdp ，HW/BW （except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ），LVT（except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ），mRNA relative expression of ANP（except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ）and BNP （except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ）as well as protein relative expression of CaMK Ⅱ and p-CaMK Ⅱ were all decreased significantly in administration groups ；the levels of LVEF （except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ） and FS （except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ） were all increased significantly； QT interval ，APD90 of endocardial and epicardial cardiomyocytes were shortened significantly ； TDR and cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes （except for dexmedetomidine low-dose group ）were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）；the improvement effects of dexmedetomidine high-dose group were significantly better than those of dexmedetomidine low-dose and medium-dose groups （P＜0.05）. Compared with dexmedetomidine high-dose group and KN- 93 group，the improvement of above indexes were all more significant in high-dose of dexmedetomidine+KN- 93 group（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：Dexmedetomidine can reduce the induction rate of ventricular arrhythmia and improve myocardial hypertrophy in myocardial hypertrophy model rabbits，the mechanism of which may be associated with down-regulation of CaMK Ⅱ expression.

Development of a liquid-liquid microextraction GC-MS method for simultaneous determination and pharmacokinetic analysis of β- elemene in rat plasma after administration of citronella grass extract / 药学学报

We established a simple and sensitive GC-MS method for the determination of β-elemene in rat plasma and measured the pharmacokinetics of citronella grass extract in rats. Plasma samples were pretreated using liquid-liquid microextraction: 100 μL of plasma sample (containing naphthalene as the internal standard) was extracted with 50 μL of n-hexane. The determination was performed on DB-5ms column (30 m×0.25 mm, 0.25 μm). The initial column temperature was 60 ℃ and raised to 160 ℃ at a rate of 50 ℃·min-1, maintained for 3 min, and finally increased to 260 ℃ for 3 min. Helium was the carrier gas and the flow rate was 0.15 mL·min-1. The injection volume was 2 μL. EI and selected monitored ions pattern were used for ion scanning with m/z 128 (naphthalene) and m/z 93 (β-elemene). Citronella grass extract was administered to rats by intragastric administration and intravenous administration (containing β-elemene 55 mg·kg-1), and plasma was collected and prepared using an automated blood collection system. The linear range of β-elemene in plasma was 1.0-250 ng·mL-1 (r = 0.997), the limit of quantification was 1.0 ng·mL-1, the accuracy was -4.47% - -0.85%, the extraction recovery was between 56.02%-66.89%, and no obvious matrix effect (94.28%-108.63%) was found. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of β-elemene were AUC0-t (23.56 ± 4.40) ng·mL-1, tmax (1.67 ± 0.58) h, Cmax (7.36 ± 0.69) ng·mL-1, MRT0-t (2.76 ± 0.27) h, t1/2z (2.73 ± 1.36) h, Vz (7.39 ± 3.18) L·kg-1, CLz (1.95 ± 0.51) L·h-1·kg-1, and the absolute bioavailability was about 8.78%. The method is simple, accurate, and sensitive, and is suitable for the pharmacokinetic analysis of β-elemene in citronella grass extract in rats. All animal studies were implemented according to protocols, which were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

Screening of quantitative preparation quality markers of Yulian Decoction / 中国中药杂志

On the basis of the qualitative preparation quality markers of Yulian Decoction, we screened out the quantitative markers and explored a general strategy for analyzing the component migration in Chinese herbal pieces, preparations, and plasma. A method capable of simultaneously determining 28 chemical components in Yulian Decoction was established based on HPLC-MS/MS. This method was used to determine the migrated components in herbal pieces-lyophilized powder preparations-rat plasma after administration of Yulian Decoction. Liquid chromatography was performed under the following conditions: C_(18)-reversed phase chromatographic column(2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 μm); acetonitrile-water(containing 0.1% formic acid) as the mobile phase for gradient elution; the flow rate of 0.2 mL·min~(-1). Electrospray ionization source was adopted for mass spectrometry detection, in which positive and negative ion modes and multiple reaction monitoring were applied. Confirmed by the methodological investigation in linear range, recovery(95.48%-103.4%), precision(RSD, 0.45%-3.8%), stability, and repeatability(RSD, 5.6%-14%), the established method was suitable for the detection and quantification of the components in Yulian Decoction. The results showed that in the lyophilized powder of Yulian Decoction, berberine was greater than 5% in mass fraction, magnoflorine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, and limonin in the range of 1%-5%, and dehydroevodiamine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, costunolide, and dehydrocostus lactone in the range of 0.002%-1%. Of the 28 components detected in pieces, 27 were found to migrate to the lyophilized powder, and 11 were detected in rat plasma. Fifteen components were preliminarily determined as quantitative preparation quality markers for Yulian Decoction, including berberine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, limonin, costunolide, dehydrocostus lactone, magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, groenlandicine, chlorogenic acid, and neochlorogenic acid. In conclusion, the HPLC-MS/MS general strategy was established for analyzing the migration of multiple components in Chinese herbal pieces, preparations, and plasma, which can provide the basis for the screening of quantitative preparation quality markers and multi-index quality control of Yulian Decoction.

Research on revision of origins to Chinese medicinal materials in 2020 edition of Chinese pharmacopoeia / 中国中药杂志

The origins of 9 species of the Chinese medicinal materials in the 2015 edition of the Chinese pharmacopoeia(ChP) has revised in the 2020 edition of ChP. The revision is based on the investigation and textual research on the problems found after screening the original plants, animals or minerals of all the Chinese medicinal materials in the 2015 edition. Among them the Chinese names of Alismatis Rhizoma, Cassiae Semen, Coicis Semen, Corydalis Bungeanae Herba and Echinopsis Radix all do not match to the Latin scientific names, and also do not match the name of the actual medicinal origins. In addition, Alismatis Rhizoma has the omission of original plant. There is confusion about the Chinese name and the family name of the original insect of Cera Chinensis. The original mineral of Gypsum Fibrosum has the wrong group names. Alumstone and melanterite, the original mineral of Alumen and Melanteritum respectively, of which the group names are missing. To solve these problems, field survey and literature research were conducted on the medicinal materials and their origins. The source of these problems are explored. The correct origins and the Chinese names or Latin names are all determined according to the research results to the situation, in which the Chinese and Latin names of the original plants of the medicinal materials do not match. The correct family name and group name are obtained through textual research by taxonomy if the names are confused or mis-sing. The scientific evidence and correct results of revision in the 2020 edition of ChP are determined at last.

Efficacy of negative pressure suction and external testosterone cream in the treatment of small penis after hypospadias surgery / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the effective method for treatment of small and short penis after hypospadias surgery.Method:s From November 2017 to November 2018, 57 children aged 4 to 14[mean age(7.91±2.89)years] with hypospadias who met the diagnostic criteria of small penis were reexamined at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xin-xiang Medical University.They were randomly divided into the physical treatment group and the drug treatment group according to the order of visits, and the untreated patients were included in the control group.Among them, 21 patients in the physical treatment group were treated with penile rehabilitation therapy apparatus, supplemented by Salvia mil-tiorrhiza bath (30 minutes/time, once/day, 10 days), and 20 patients in the drug treatment group were treated with Testosterone cream topically (3 times/day, 10 days). Penile relaxation length, stretch length, transverse and longitudinal diameters of glans in 2 groups before and after the treatment were measured.The relevant indexes of 16 patients in the control group measured before and after 10 days and compared with those in the treatment group.Result:s (1)The penile relaxation length in the physical treatment group increased from (25.48±6.13) mm to (30.72±6.49) mm, the length of stretch increased from (34.90±7.71) mm to (41.08±8.43) mm, the transverse diameter of glans increased from (14.81±3.40) mm to (16.57±3.42) mm, and the longitudinal diameter increased from (13.94±3.15) mm to (15.82±3.52) mm, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2)The penile relaxation length in the drug treatment group increased from (21.07±4.26) mm to (31.32±4.72) mm, the length of stretch increased from (31.94±7.96) mm to (45.39±7.24) mm, the transverse diameter of glans increased from (13.38±1.77) mm to (16.64±2.10) mm, and the longitudinal diameter increased from (13.09±1.77) mm to (16.62±1.86) mm, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (3)There was no significant difference in penile relaxation length, the length of stretch, transverse diameter and longitudinal diameters of glans before and after 10 days in the control group (all P>0.05). (4) Compared with the control group, the penile relaxation length, the length of stretch, transverse diameter and longitudinal diameters of glans in the physical treatment group increased significantly, and the differences of growth values between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (5) Compared with the control group, the penile relaxation length, the length of stretch, transverse diameter and longitudinal diameters of glans in the drug treatment group also increased significantly, and the difference of growth values between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (6) The growth of penile relaxation length, the length of stretch and transverse and longitudinal diameters in the drug treatment group were higher than those in the physical treatment group, and the difference of growth values were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Both the negative pressure suction method and topical application of Testosterone cream are effective in the treatment of small and short penis after hypospadias surgery.However, Testosterone cream is difficult to obtain, and the treatment of negative pressure suction is simple, noninvasive, painless and free of adverse reactions.

Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine for Depressive Disorder in Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) on post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients with depressive disorder in coronary heart disease (CHD).@*METHODS@#A literature search was conducted through databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (SinoMed), Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and Wanfang Database up to August 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CHMs with placebo or no additional treatments on the basis of standard conventional pharmacological therapies were included. Data extraction, analyses and quality assessment were performed according to the Cochrane standards. RevMan 5.3 software was used to synthesize the results.@*RESULTS@#A total of 16 RCTs enrolling 1,443 participants were included in this systematic review. When compared with antidepressants alone, CHMs showed similar benefits with less side effects [risk ratio=0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43 to 0.69, 582 patients]; meanwhile, the combination therapy may have more advantages than antidepressants alone [mean difference (MD)=-1.03, 95%CI-1.81 to-0.25, 267 patients). When identified with placebo, CHMs seem to have more advantages in relieving depressive symptoms (MD=-19.00, 95%CI-20.02 to-17.98, 189 patients). However, when compared with basic treatment of post- PCI, CHMs showed different results in two trials. In terms of post-PCI related clinical symptoms, CHMs seem to have more advantages in relieving chest pain and other general clinical symptoms. However, the heterogeneity in this review was generally high, it may be caused by different interventions used in each trial and the low quality of the trials.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In total, CHMs showed potentially beneficial effects on depressive symptoms and post-PCI related clinical symptoms. However, because of small sample size and potential bias of most trials, this result should be interpreted with caution. More rigorous trials with larger sample size and higher quality are warranted to give high quality of evidence to support the use of CHMs for CHD complicated with depression.

Application of minimally invasive integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy based on the SELECT concept in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary and pancreatic tumors / 临床肝胆病杂志

Among digestive malignancies, compared with gastrointestinal tumors, biliary and pancreatic tumors are difficult to diagnose in the early stage and have fewer opportunities for radical surgical resection, with a shorter survival time and poorer quality of life, and the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such tumors remain a difficult issue that needs to be solved urgently in clinical practice. Based on the different locations and features of biliary and pancreatic tumors, the SELECT concept selects the optimal combination of minimally invasive endoscopies (laparoscopy, choledochoscopy, duodenoscopy, Spyglass, and endoscopic ultrasound) and applies traditional Chinese medicine treatment in the perioperative period, so as to achieve early diagnosis and treatment, prolong the survival time with tumor, improve quality of life, and strive to realize the goal of cure.

An improved centrifuge method for determining water extraction curves and vulnerability curves in the long-vessel species Robinia pseudoacacia.

Significant improvements to the centrifuge water-extraction method of measuring the percentage loss volume of water (PLV) and corresponding vulnerability curves (VCs) are reported. Cochard and Sperry rotors are both incapable of measuring the VCs of species with long vessels because of premature embolism induced by hypothetical nanoparticles that can be drawn into segments during flow measurement. In contrast, water extraction pushes nanoparticles out of the sample. This study focuses on a long-vessel species, Robinia pseudoacacia, for which many VCs have been constructed by different methods, and the daily water relations have been quantified. PLV extraction curves have dual Weibull curves, and this paper focuses on the second Weibull curve because it involves the extraction of water from vessels, as proven by staining methods. We demonstrate an improved water extraction method after evaporation correction that has accuracy to within 0.5%, shows good agreement with two traditional methods that are slower and less accurate, and is immune to nanoparticle artefacts. Using Poiseuille's Law and the geometry of vessels, we argue that the percentage loss of conductivity (PLC) equals 2PLV-PLV2 in a special case where all vessels, regardless of size, have the same vulnerability curve. In this special case, this equation predicts the data reasonably well.

Effect of Manual and Machine Decocting on Chemical Constituents in Bazhentang Based on Non-targeted Metabolomics / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the effect of manual decocting and machine decocting on the chemical constituents in Bazhentang based on non-targeted metabolomics, and to find the differential chemical constituents of these two decocting methods. Method: Bazhentang was boiled by standardized manual decocting and machine decocting methods,respectively. Orthogonal partial least square-discriminate analysis(OPLS-DA) and other multivariate statistical methods, combined with variable importance in the projection(VIP) value and t-test, were employed to analyze the effect of two decocting methods on the chemical constituents in Bazhentang. The differential chemical constituents were analyzed by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS under positive and negative ion modes,mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid aqueous solution for gradient elution,the scanning range was m/z 50-1 500. Result: Under the positive and negative ion modes of high-resolution mass spectrometry, a total of 87 differential components were found,40 of them were identified according to the mass spectrometry data and literature reports, including senkyunolide A, glycyrrhizin, ferulic acid, etc. Conclusion: Based on the analysis of color and chemical compositions of Bazhentang, there are obvious differences between the standardized manual decocting and machine decocting. If the advantages of these two methods are combined,a standardized decoction process can be established on the basis of maintaining the advantages of manual decocting, the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine decoction will be maximized and it will be convenient for patients to take it.

UHPLC quantification and brain permeability study of sinomenine and ligustrazine in CQM after single intravenous administration / 药学学报

Chuanxiong Qingfengteng mixture (CQM) is an analgesic developed based on clinical evidence and traditional Chinese medicine theory, which majorly consists of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Sinomenium acutum extracts. The current study aims to establish an UHPLC-UV method for the quantification of sinomenine and ligustrazine after CQM administration to rats, mice and cells, and to study the brain permeability of sinomenine and ligustrazine. The selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision and stability of the established method demonstrated that it was suitable for the determination of sinomenine and ligustrazine in biological samples such as plasma, brain tissue and cellular fluid. After CQM was intravenously administered to rats and mice, both sinomenine and ligustrazine were detected in the brain from 5 min-2 h. The CSF/plasma partition coefficients (Kp, C/P) of each component were higher than those of brain tissue/plasma partition coefficient (Kp, B/P), the Kp, C/P and Kp, B/P of ligustrazine were higher than those of sinomenine. The concentrations between CSF and brain tissue were strongly correlated (Pearson's R>0.86, P<0.001). The unbound fraction in plasma of sinomenine and ligustrazine was 78.92% and 34.07%, respectively. The plasma protein binding rates displayed concentration-independent behavior within their respective in vivo concentration ranges. After CQM co-cultured with Caco-2 cell monolayers, the apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of sinomenine and ligustrazine were 1.30×10-6 and 3.64×10-6 cm·s-1, respectively, following into the range of the intermediate and high permeability compounds. The efflux ratio (Papp(basolateral→apical)/Papp(apical→basolateral)) of sinomenine and ligustrazine were 0.67 and 0.85, respectively. When combined with P-glycoprotein inhibitor, the Papp of each component did not increase. In conclusion, the UHPLC-UV assay was successfully applied for the brain permeability study of CQM, the components of CQM can be quickly distributed to cerebrospinal fluid and pass through the blood-brain barrier. The brain permeability of ligustrazine is higher than that of sinomenine. The transmembrane transport of sinomenine and ligustrazine may not be affected by efflux transporters. All animal care and use complied with the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. All animal studies were implemented according to protocols, which were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on recovery of gastrointestinal function after cesarean section / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after cesarean section treated with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation at Zusanli (ST 36) on the basis of routine treatment.@*METHODS@#A total of 110 primiparas after cesarean section were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 55 cases in each one. The conventional treatment was applied in the two groups, after operation, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation at Zusanli (ST 36) was used immediately in the observation group, the skin electrode of disposable anti-magnetic buckle was attached to Zusanli (ST 36) and the corresponding part of the inner lower leg, with disperse-dense wave, 30 Hz/60 Hz and 15-20 mA. The treatment was given for 30 min every time, once every 8 h, until the end of the first bowel movement. The recovery of gastrointestinal function after cesarean section (the restoring time of borborygmus, the time of first anal exsufflation and the first defecation time), the time of secretion of foremilk, complications (abdominal distension, abdominal pain, nausea etc.), hospital stays after operation and the satisfaction of primiparas after bowel movement were compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#The observation group was superior to the control group in the restoring time of borborygmus, the time of first anal exsufflation, the first defecation time and the time of secretion of foremilk (<0.01, <0.05). In the observation group, the incidence of postoperative complications such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension and nausea was 3.6% (2/55), which was lower than 16.4% (9/55) in the control group (<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group had shorter hospital stays (<0.01). The satisfaction of effect was 89.1% (49/55) in the observation group, which was superior to 72.7% (40/55) in the control group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation at Zusanli (ST 36) can speed up the recovery of gastrointestinal function after cesarean section, reduce complications such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, shorten hospital stays, promote patient nutrition intake and lactation, and improve comfort level and satisfaction of primiparas.

Establishment and Application of High-throughput Screening Model for Active Ingredients of Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on CXCR4 Promoter / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To establish a cell model targeting the CXCR4 gene promoter to screen of drugs potentially promoting the stem cell homing, and to screen the monomers of traditional Chinese medicine. Methods The human CXCR4 gene promoter sequence (279 bp) was inserted into the luciferase reporter vector pGL4.17-Basic to construct the recombinant plasmid pGL4.17-CXCR4, which was co-transfected with the internal reference plasmid pRL-TK into 293 cells. After verifying transcriptional activity of CXCR4 promoter, single cell clones were cultured to obtain a stable transfectant cell line and used for screening of candidate Chinese herbal monomer (1 to 10). Finally, Western blot was used to verify the effect of the selected Chinese herbal monomer on the expression of CXCR4 in MSCs. Results The drug screening cell model was successfully established and the candidate monomer 6 was screened out because of the strongest effect on enhancing CXCR4 promoter activity. Western blot results verified that the candidate monomer 6 could promoted the expression of CXCR4 of MSCs. Conclusion The drug screening cell model established in this study was able to achieve high-throughput screening for potentially promoting the stem cell homing Chinese herbal monomer.