Meta-analysis of the traditional Chinese medicine care model in relieving postoperative pain in patients with anorectal diseases.

Objective: To explore the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nursing on relieving postoperative pain in patients with anorectal diseases. Method: Three English and three Chinese databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Internet, Wanfang Data and the China Science and Technology Journal Database) were systematically searched for case-controlled or prospective studies evaluating the impact of TCM nursing on postoperative pain in patients with anorectal diseases from the date of library construction until June 20, 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was adopted to evaluate the quality of the observational studies. The effect of TCM care on pain based on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the effective pain relief rate, the wound healing time and the length of hospital stay were systematically analysed. Result: After a systematic search and screening, a total of 15 documents were included in this study. The systematic evaluation showed that TCM care reduced the VAS score (mean difference (MD): 1.15（95 % Confidence Interval (CI): 1.96, -1.06; P < 0.00001) compared with conventional postoperative care methods. As TCM nursing time increased, there was a trend towards decreased VAS scores. Furthermore, TCM care was effective in providing pain relief (OR: 4.78; 95 % CI: 2.93,7.79; P < 0.00001) and reducing wound healing time (MD: 4.44; 95 % CI: 5.60, -3.27; P < 0.00001) and length of hospital stay (MD: 4.87; 95 % CI: 5.93, -3.82; P < 0.00001). Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine nursing has a positive effect on the postoperative clinical results of patients with anorectal diseases, especially in relieving postoperative pain. The effect of traditional Chinese medicine nursing in relieving short-term postoperative pain in patients with anorectal diseases is obvious. However, there is no uniform standard for TCM nursing projects, which may lead to heterogeneity.

Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Curcuma aromatica Salisb. inhibits liver metastasis of colon cancer by regulating EMT via the CXCL8/CXCR2 axis and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: One of the most challenging aspects of colon cancer (CC) prognosis and treatment is liver-tropic metastasis. Astragalus mongholicus Bunge-Curcuma aromatica Salisb. (AC) is a typical medication combination for the therapy of many malignancies. Our previous studies found that AC intervention inhibits liver metastasis of colon cancer (LMCC). Nevertheless, the comprehensive anti-metastasis mechanisms of AC have not been uncovered. METHODS: In bioinformatics analysis, RNA-seq data of CC and LMCC patients were collected from TCGA and GEO databases, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The biological processes and signaling pathways involved in DEGs were enriched by GO and KEGG. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was established and visualized using the Cytocape software, followed by screening Hub genes in the PPI network using Degree value as the criterion. Subsequently, the expression and survival relevance of Hub gene in COAD patients were verified. In the experimental study, the effects of AC on the inhibition of colon cancer growth and liver metastasis were comprehensively evaluated by cellular and animal models. Finally, based on the results of bioinformatics analysis, the possible mechanisms of AC inhibition of colon cancer EMT and liver metastasis were explored by in vivo and in vitro pharmacological experiments. RESULTS: In this study, we obtained 2386 DEGs relevant to LMCC from the COAD (colon adenocarcinoma) and GSE38174 datasets. Results of GO gene function and KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis suggested that cellular EMT (Epithelial-mesenchymal transition) biological processes, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways might be closely related to LMCC mechanism. We then screened for CXCL8, the core hub gene with the highest centrality within the PPI network of DEGs, and discovered that CXCL8 expression was negatively correlated with the prognosis of COAD patients. In vitro and in vivo experimental evidence presented that AC significantly inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability, and suppressed tumor growth and liver metastasis in colon cancer orthotopic transplantation mice models. Concomitantly, AC significantly reduced CXCL8 expression levels in cell supernatants and serum. Moreover, AC reduced the expression and transcription of genes related to the PI3K/AKT pathway while suppressing the EMT process in colon cancer cells and model mice. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our research predicted the potential targets and pathways of LMCC, and experimentally demonstrated that AC might inhibit the growth and liver metastasis in colon cancer by regulating EMT via the CXCL8/CXCR2 axis and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which may facilitate the discovery of mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies for LMCC.

[Anti-colorectal cancer mechanism of Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma-Paridis Rhizoma based on network pharmacology and experimental verification].

The present study explored the underlying mechanism of Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma-Paridis Rhizoma(AR-CR-PR) in the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC) by network pharmacology and molecular docking and animal tests and verified the core targets based on the orthotopic transplantation model in nude mice. The active components of AR-CR-PR were retrieved from databases such as TCMSP. The targets of drugs and the disease were obtained from PubChem, SwissTargetPrediction, TTD, and DrugBank, and the intersection targets were imported into STRING for the analysis of the protein-protein interaction(PPI). Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analyses were performed through DAVID. AutoDock Vina was used to perform molecular docking and binding ability prediction between the active components and the core targets. The effects of AR-CR-PR on tumor growth, metastasis, and phosphorylation of core target proteins in tumor tissues based on the orthotopic transplantation model in nude mice. As revealed by network pharmacology, AR-CR-PR contained nine core components, such as quercetin, curcumin, and ß-ecdysone, and the key targets included protein kinase B(AKT1), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(MAPK3), MAPK1, and epithelial growth factor receptor(EGFR), which was indicated that the anti-CRC effect of AR-CR-PR was presumedly achieved by regulating tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and angiogenesis through PI3 K-AKT, MAPK and other signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that the nine core components had strong binding abilities to AKT1 and MAPK3. The results in vivo showed that AR-CR-PR could reduce the volume of the orthotopic tumor, inhibit liver metastasis, and decrease the phosphorylation of AKT1 and MAPK3 in the CRC model. The mechanism of AR-CR-PR in the intervention of CRC may be related to the activation of PI3 K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathway. This study provides a scientific basis for the clinical application of AR-CR-PR in the treatment of CRC and ideas for modern research on AR-CR-PR.

Astragalus mongholicus Bunge-Curcuma aromatica Salisb. suppresses growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting M2 macrophage polarization via a Sp1/ZFAS1/miR-153-3p/CCR5 regulatory axis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is regarded as one of the commonest cancer types around the world. Due to the poor understanding on the causes of CRC formation and progression, this study sets out to investigate the physiological mechanisms by which Astragalus mongholicus Bunge-Curcuma aromatica Salisb. (ARCR) regulates CRC growth and metastasis, and the role in which M2 macrophage polarization plays in this process. An orthotopic-transplant model of CRC was established to evaluate the influence of ARCR on the polarization of M2 macrophage and the growth and metastasis of tumors. Next, the binding affinity among Sp1, ZFAS1, miR-153-5p, and CCR5 was identified using multiple assays. Finally, after co-culture of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) with CRC cell line CT26.WT, the cell proliferative, invasive, and migrated abilities were assessed in gain- or loss-of-function experiments. ARCR inhibited the infiltration of M2 macrophages into tumor microenvironment to suppress the CRC growth and metastasis in vivo. Additionally, ARCR inhibited the transcription of ZFAS1 by reducing Sp1 expression to repress M2 macrophage polarization. Moreover, ZFAS1 competitively binds to miR-153-3p to upregulate the CCR5 expression. Finally, ARCR suppressed the polarization of M2 macrophages to inhibit the tumor growth and tumor metastasis in CRC by mediating the Sp1/ZFAS1/miR-153-3p/CCR5 regulatory axis. Collectively, ARCR appears to suppress the CRC cell growth and metastasis by suppressing M2 macrophage polarization via Sp1/ZFAS1/miR-153-3p/CCR5 regulatory axis. 1. ARCR suppress the CRC cell growth and metastasis 2. ZFAS1 promotes CCR5 expression by competitively binding to miR-153-3p. 3. Sp1 promotes M2 macrophage polarization by activating ZFAS1 via miR-153-3p/CCR5. 4. The study unveiled a protective target against CRC.

Metabonomics study on orthotopic transplantion mice model of colon cancer treated with Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma wenyujin in different proportions via UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Metabolomics, an important part of systems biology, can reveal the complex pathogenesis of many diseases and mechanism of Chinese materia medica (CMM). Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma wenyujin (AC) was a classic drug pair that has a good clinical effect on gastrointestinal inflammation and many tumors. Our previous research proved that AC can inhibit tumor growth and metastasis especially the colorectal cancer (CRC), also promote the normalization of tumor blood vessels, but its optimal ratio and the specific mechanism is still not clear. In this study, colon cancer mice of orthotopic transplantion model was used to screen the best proportion, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS metabolomics analysis method was established to explore the pathogenesis of colon cancer and the molecular mechanism of AC. The correlation analysis of metabolite changes and tumor growth was analyzed by R language. The result showed that AC at the ratio of 2:1 showed the best effect on inhibiting tumor growth, also the liver and spleen metastasis rate. A total of 23 potential biomarkers were detected in the serum of colon cancer mice by the analysis of Progenesis QI (Version 2.4) software. Among this, 11 metabolites including purines, steroids, phytosphingosine and l-palmitoylcarnitine were up-regulated in CC mice, while 12 metabolites like amino acids, deoxyribose and dihydrobiopterin were down-regulated in CC mice. After the treatment of AC for 15 days, 8 biomarkers were up-regulated, and 9 biomarkers down-regulated. Especially, AC at the ratio of 2:1 showed a significant callback effect on metabolic biomarkers, such as hypoxanthine, xanthosine, 7-methylxanthine, all-trans-retinoic acid, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. 8 metabolic pathways: Aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, Nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, Valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, Phenylalanine metabolism, Caffeine metabolism, Retinol metabolism, Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were selected as the model group disturbed metabolic pathways after the enrichment of MetaboAnalyst 4.0 online analysis software. And compared with the model group, Valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, Aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, Caffeine metabolism pathway and Retinol metabolism pathways were altered after the intervention of AC. The correlation analysis results showed that various endogenous metabolites in serum have a strong correlation with tumor weight, such as hypoxanthine, which provides a basis for the selection of clinical markers. The results showed that AC can partially regulate metabolic disorder of CC mice by reversing the changes of metabolites, so as to inhibit the growth and metastasis of colon cancer, especially at the ratio of 2:1. These findings can provide a scientific basis for exploring the diagnostic biomarkers of colon cancer, and for clinical application of AC in the treatment of CRC program.

Antimetastasis Effect of Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma zedoaria via ß-Catenin Mediated CXCR4 and EMT Signaling Pathway in HCT116.

Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria, two traditional Chinese medicines, are widely used together in colorectal cancer adjuvant treatment. Many different mechanisms should be involved in the benefit effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria. In this study, we established that the combined extract from Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria (HQEZ) decreased the metastasis ability in colorectal cancer cells (HCT116, a cell line of colorectal carcinoma established from Homo sapiens) in vitro, and the treatment induced the downregulation of EMT signal and decreased CXCR4 expression and the level of ß-catenin. Overexpression of CXCR4 and the administration of the agonist and inhibitor to ß-catenin signal pathway were used to explore the mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria in colorectal cancer treatment. The data demonstrated that HQEZ increased the phosphorylation of ß-catenin which related to the degradation of ß-catenin, and it induced the downregulation of EMT signal and CXCR4. It meant that the influence of ß-catenin should be a key event in the antimetastasis effects of Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma zedoaria in colorectal cancer model. These findings revealed the potential effect and mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma zedoaria in colorectal cancer treatment and provided insight for optimization of the usage.

Combination of Astragali Polysaccharide and Curcumin Improves the Morphological Structure of Tumor Vessels and Induces Tumor Vascular Normalization to Inhibit the Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Normalizing the disordered tumor vasculature, rather than blocking it, is a novel method for anticancer therapy. Astragali polysaccharide (APS) and curcumin were reported to be active against carcinomas. However, the effect and mechanism of the combination of APS and curcumin on vascular normalization in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was not clear. In the present study, effects of combined APS and curcumin on tumor vascular normalization were evaluated in HepG2 tumor-bearing mice. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) was performed to observe the morphological structure of tumor vessels in vivo. The microstructure of the tumor vessels was also analyzed through scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the expression of CD31 and NG2 was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Tumor vessels of HepG2 tumor-bearing mice treated with the combination were sparse with uniform growth, morphology rules, and complete vascular walls, which had fewer branches and sprouts. ECs of tumor vessels were arranged regularly and were tightly connected, tending toward normalization. The expression of CD31 was reduced while NG2 was increased significantly by the combination of APS and curcumin. The results indicated that APS and curcumin in combination showed a better effect on inhibiting tumor growth in an orthotopic nude-mouse model of HCC. More important, the combination induced normalization of tumor vascular better than APS or curcumin administration alone, improving the morphological structure of tumor vessels and promoting maturation of tumor vessels. The results of the present study provided a reasonable possibility for combination therapy of APS and curcumin in the treatment of HCC via tumor vascular normalization.

[Allele-specific PCR to identification of Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix and Cyathulae Radix formula granules].

To establish a robust and accuracy molecular method to identify Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix and Cyathulae Radix formula granules. ITS sequences of Achyranthes bidentata and Cyathula officinalis were aligned, specific SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) were excavated, specific primers were designed and allele-specific PCR method was established. The genomic DNA was successfully extracted from the herbal medicine and its formula granules by using an improved CTAB (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) method and then performed PCR with the designed primers. The 187 bp specific band could be amplified only in the presentation of C. officinalis and its granules when use of C. officinalis specific primers, whereas the 162 bp band could be amplified only in the presentation of A. bidentata and its granules when use of A. bidentata specific primers. This method was also successfully applied in the identification of commercial formula granules.

[Zoological origin survey of commercial hippocampus in Chinese herbal markets by morphological and DNA sequencing identification].

Hippocampus is a precious animal medicine in Chinese herbal medicines. Numerous seahorse species possessing similar morphology were used as commercial hippocampus in herbal markets. Clarifing the zoological of commercial hippocampus in herbal markets is a crucial issue, which contributed to establish authentication and quality control standard. This study investigated 1 156 dried seahorse samples collected from eight main herbal markets using CO Ⅰ fragment DNA sequencing coupling with morphological identification. The results showed that 23 seahorse species were present in the China TCM market. Among them, five species were officially listed in China Pharmacopoeia, seven species namely winged seahorse (Hippocampus alatus), giraffe seahorse (H. camelopardalis), knysna seahorse (H. capensis), beibuwan seahorse (H. casscsio), half-spiny seahorse (H. semispinosus), Europe seahorse (H. hippocampus), zebra seahorse (H. zebra) were found in herbal markets for the first time. The present DNA sequences analysis coupling with morphological identification method could also use to survey the species origin of other Chinese herbal medicines in herbal markets.

[Specific PCR method for identification of Trionycis Carapax and its preparation].

Trionycis Carapax is a commonly used animal medicine in Chinese medicine. It's difficult to identify Trionycis Carapax and its adulterants because of the loss of morphological characteristics after processing. To establish an efficient and stable method to identification Trionycis Carapax, this study combines SDS method with column purification to extract genomic DNA, uses universal primers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing, and designs the specific primers based on the differences in the sequences of Pelodiscus sinensis and their adulterants. When the annealing temperature was 62 °C and the number of cycles was 35, the designed primer Biejia-272.F/R was used for PCR amplification and got optimum results. The crude drug and preparation of P. sinensis were all amplified to obtain a specific band of approximately 300 bp, while the adulterants showed no such a band. This method can be used as a rapid and accurate method to identify the authenticate of P. sinensis.

[Multiplex PCR to simultaneous identification of five traditional Chinese medicinal seahorses].

Seahorse is one the most commonly used medicinal animal in China. Five species of Hippocampus are recorded as seahorse in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Because of the rapid decrease, several other Hippocampus species are often adulterants as medicinal seahorse in the herbal market, which compromise clinical efficacy and pose threat to endangered seahorse species conversation. Herein, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) method was developed to identify the biological sources of medicinal seahorses.Based on the sequences of mitochondrial DNA, five specific primers for Hippocampus trimaculatus, H. kelloggi, H. kuda, H. histrix and H. mohnikei (H. japonicus)were designed, respectively. Multiplex PCR yields the products of 155, 222, 292, 352, 458 bp amplicons in the present of DNA templates of H. kuda, H. mohnikei, H. kelloggi, H. histrix and H. trimaculatus, respectively. This multiplex PCR method which electrophoresis migration of different lengths of DNA bands allowed simultaneous identification of all the five medicinal seahorses in a single assay. It showed that this multiplex PCR assay is useful for the simultaneous identification the biological sources of complex multi-source samples, which could provide a useful tool for the quality control of seahorses.

[Exploration and thoughts about zoological origin and macroscopical identification of Chinese material medica "Haima" in China Pharmacopoeia].

"Haima" (Hippocampus) has a long history in China as an important traditional animal medicine, but many closely-related members of the Hippocampus genus are also used as Haima in particular regions. To investigate the real origin of "Haima", a herbalogical studies, particularly inpictures and photographs of the ancient literature are corroborated with seahorse specimens in museum, we confirm Chinese material medica "Haima" in China Pharmacopoeia is origin from H. kelloggi, 1901, H.spinosissimus, 1913, H. kuda, 1852, H. trimaculatus, 1814, or H. mohnikei, 1853. The so-called "Ci Haima" is H. spinosissimus, instead of H. histrix, 1856. The paper also suggests to revise of "macroscopical identification" item and add identification methods of "Haima" in China Pharmacopoeia, which may improve quality controls tandards of "Haima".

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Mytilus coruscus α-d-Glucan (MP-A) in Activated Macrophage Cells via TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK Pathway Inhibition.

The hard-shelled mussel (Mytilus coruscus) has been used as Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years; however, to date the ingredients responsible for the various beneficial health outcomes attributed to Mytilus coruscus are still unclear. An α-d-Glucan, called MP-A, was isolated from Mytilus coruscus, and observed to exert anti-inflammatory activity in THP-1 human macrophage cells. Specifically, we showed that MP-A treatment inhibited the production of inflammatory markers, including TNF-α, NO, and PGE2, inducible NOS (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), in LPS-activated THP-1 cells. It was also shown to enhance phagocytosis in the analyzed cells, but to severely inhibit the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB P65. Finally, MP-A was found to exhibit a high binding affinity for the cell surface receptor TLR4, but a low affinity for TLR2 and dectin-1, via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis. The study indicates that MP-A suppresses LPS-induced TNF-α, NO and PEG2 production via TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK pathway inhibition, and suggests that MP-A may be a promising therapeutic candidate for diseases associated with TNF-α, NO, and/or PEG2 overproduction.

[Screening and identification of an endophytic fungus from Atractylodes lancea which utilizes volatile oil selectively].

In order to transform main active ingredient of volatile oil, endophytic fungi were screened from the root of Atractylodes lancea. Transformation method was used in vitro. The changes of volatile oil were traced by gas chromatography. One endophytic fungus (strain ALG-13) which could uitilize volatile oil selectively was screened. Single factor experiment were conducted for exploring the effects of various factors that including kinds of carbon source, speed, liquid volume, pH and concentration of plant tissue on degradation by this strain. Subsequently, the main affecting factors carbon source, speed, pH and liquid volume were optimized using orthogonal array design. Results showed that endophytic fungus ALG-13 selectively used the volatile oil, change the relative percentage of the main components of volatile oil, Atractylon and Atractydin were increased, While, beta-eudesmol and Atractylol decreased. After selectively degradation by fungus, volatile oil components percentage were closer to the geo-herbs. Strain ALG-13 was identified as Bionectria ochroleuca according to its morphological characteristics and systematic analysis of ITS sequence. The optimal conditions were as follows: sucrose used as carbon source, rotating speed was 200 r x min(-1), initial pH for medium was 4.5, 50 mL liquid was added in 250 mL flask. The endophytic fungus ALG-13 could degrade the volatile oil selectively, which was benefit for forming geoherbs A. lancea volatile oil composition.

[Irritant stability of raphides and tubers from Pinellia ternate].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the irritation stability of raphides from Pinellia ternata and the contribution of raphides proteins on irritation. METHODS: The irritation of raphides and tubers from P. ternata treated with different solvents or protease digestion were evaluated by the Draize test. The shape and appearance of raphides treated with immersion in different solvents were showed by scanning electron microscopy, and protein bands from raphides before and after protease digestion were showed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). RESULTS: The raphides gradually lost the irritation when immersed in methanol and ethanol, while scanning electron micrograph showed the fragility of the methanol and ethanol treated raphides. The crude tubers of P. ternata immersed in 75% solution of ethanol also lost the acridity. When treated with protease digestion, raphides lost the irritation as well as the many protein bands on the SDS-PAGE gel gradually disappeared. CONCLUSION: Protein of the raphides could be involved in the raphides irritation.