Anti-tumour effect of Huangqin Decoction on colorectal cancer mice through microbial butyrate mediated PI3K/Akt pathway suppression.

Introduction. Huangqin Decoction (HQD), a Chinese herbal formula, is widely used for various diseases, including colorectal cancer (CRC).Hypothesis/Gap Statement. We proposed that microbial butyrate mediated PI3K/Akt pathway suppression might involve the anti-cancer effect of HQD.Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the potential mechanism of HQD against CRC.Methodology. An azoxymethane plus dextran sulphate sodium induced CRC mouse model was used, and the intestinal flora and faecal short-chain fatty acid changes were detected, respectively, after HQD administration with 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Disease activity index, colon length and levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured to evaluate the effect of HQD on intestinal inflammation. Tumour size, number and histopathology were assessed to reflect the impact of HQD on tumour burden. Apoptosis and PI3K/Akt pathway activity were measured by TUNEL staining and Western-blotting. In vitro, the effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) on the viability of CRC cell lines were detected by the Cell-counting Kit-8. The apoptotic cells were determined by TUNEL staining. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by wound healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Western-blotting and immunofluorescent staining were used to test the activity of PI3K/Akt pathway.Results. Animal study showed that HQD could improve the gut dysbiosis, increase the abundance of Clostridium and the level of faecal butyric acid. Then, we found that HQD could attenuate colitis, reduce tumour burden, promote cell apoptosis and suppress PI3K/Akt pathway activity in CRC mice. In vitro experiment revealed that NaB treatment could inhibit cell growth, migration and invasion in CRC cell lines. Additionally, NaB enhanced cellular apoptosis, and reduced phosphorylated PI3K and Akt expressions. Interestingly, addition of 740Y-P, an agonist of PI3K, reversed the NaB effects on CRC cells.Conclusion. Overall, in this study, we revealed that HQD could induce apoptosis through microbial butyrate mediated PI3K/Akt inhibition and perform anti-CRC activity.

[Enrichment Factors of Soil-Se in the Farmland in Shizuishan City, Ningxia].

Shizuishan is a typical exhausted resources-based city in the northern area of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in China. In order to develop the planting industry of selenium (Se)-rich agricultural products and promote green and sustainable urban development and transformation, investigations on the quality of Se-rich land were carried out in Shizuishan City, where 7399 surface soil (0-20 cm) samples of farmlands, 30 atmospheric precipitation samples, and nine parent rocks were collected. By means of semi variogram model construction by GS+, Kriging interpolation in ArcGIS and statistics via SPSS, such as correlation analysis and mean-value analysis, the content, spatial distribution, and enrichment factors of Se-soil were analyzed. Further, the enrichment characteristics of soil Se in alkaline conditions were summarized. The results indicated that ω(Se) in surface soil was (0.26±0.12) mg·kg-1, and its spatial distribution was highly auto-correlated. The variation in Se content was related to natural factors. Along Helan Mountain, the content of Se in the surface soil was comparatively higher than that where coal mines were located. The parent rock was the principal factor that controlled the enrichment of soil Se. The physical and chemical properties of soil such as organic material, pH, and iron and manganese oxides had crucial effects on the enrichment of soil Se in a surficial environment. Compared to a strong alkaline environment, alkaline conditions were beneficial for the enrichment of Se in the surface soil.

[Accurate positioning and analysis on health function of high frequency anti-fatigue herbal medicines].

Fatigue is a widespread and complex physiological phenomenon. Chronic fatigue can lead to cardiovascular dysfunction, mental disorders and other serious pathological reactions. Therefore, how to relieve fatigue accurately and effectively is an important proposition to implement the concept of "Healthy China" in the new era. As an important part of Chinese medicine health industry, Chinese medicine health food has been developing rapidly in recent years. At present, there are 1 157 kinds of anti-fatigue health food on the market in China, most of which are single Chinese medicine and its compound. However, their functions are generally labeled as "anti-fatigue", and their function positioning is too extensive and unclear. With the deepened understanding of fatigue classification and its physiological and pathological basis, it is urgent to be combined with the progress of modern chemical and pharmacological stu-dies to differentiate and precisely position the anti-fatigue health effects of traditional Chinese medicine. For this purpose, the classifications of fatigue were summarized in this paper, and the mechanism of fatigue was explained from the aspects of energy metabolism, accumulation of metabolites, oxidative stress, inflammation, hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis and so on. We selected 10 traditional Chinese medicines which are most frequently used in health food, analyzed their anti-fatigue effect mechanisms, and summarized the best types of anti-fatigue food, so as to promote the scientific development of anti-fatigue health food industry, expand the market application scope of anti-fatigue health food, better respond to the construction of a healthy China and serve for people's health.

[Effect of Gansui Banxia Tang plus-minus Gansui and Gancao anti-drug combination that preferred dose close to clinical application on diuretic effect in malignant ascites rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Gansui Banxia Tang plus-minus Gansui and Gancao anti-drug combination on hepatic and renal functions in malignant ascites rats to explore whether the efficacy or toxicity associated with the anti-drug combination. METHOD: The male wistar rats were randomly divided into a blank group, model group, furosemide group, Gansui Banxia Tang group, Gansui Banxia Tang removed Zhigancao group, Gansui Banxia Tang removed Cugansui group, Gansui Banxia Tang removed Zhigancao and Cugansui group. In addition to normal feeding, every morning except for the blank group and model group, the rest of the group was given drugs, the control group and the model group was given distilled water, the volume is 10 mL x kg(-1). Administered five days, all rats were fasted but except water for 24 hours to collect urine. Administered nine days all rats were fasted but except water for 12 hours, we need to weigh weight of rats. When we remove the ascites, we also need to weigh weight of rats. We use the weight before removing ascites minus weight after removing ascites to indirectly measure the amount of ascites. When we remove the ascites, we need to abdominal aortic blood, centrifuge testing renin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone and other indicators. RESULT: The effect of Gansui Banixa Tang on increasing the net weight, lowering abdominal circumference and body weight ratio, lowering renin, angiotensin, aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone is better than the other treatment group. CONCLUSION: In diuresis party, the group of Gansui Banxia Tang is better than the group of Gansui Banxia Tang remove Zhigancao or Cugansui or Zhigancao and Cugansui, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may play a diuretic effect of its one way.

A new epimer of ocotillol from stems and leaves of American ginseng.

A new minor C-3 epimer of ocotillol, named 3α-ocotillol (1), was isolated along with ocotillol (2) from the stems and leaves of American ginseng for the first time. The structure of the new sapogenin was elucidated as (20S, 24R)-dammar-20,24-epoxy-3α,6α,12ß,25-tetraol by the combination analysis of NMR and mass spectrometry. The complete signal assignments of the two compounds were carried out by means of 2D NMR spectral analysis.

Short-term clinical effects of photodynamic therapy with topical 5-aminolevulinic acid for facial acne conglobata: an open, prospective, parallel-arm trial.

BACKGROUND: Acne conglobata is hardly curable and easily leads to scar formation after treatment using traditional methods. AIM: To develop a novel way to treat acne conglobata. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with facial acne conglobata were included in this clinical study and divided into either a treatment group (n = 35) to receive photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topical 5% 5-aminolevulinic acid and red light once every 10 days for a month or a control group (n = 40) to receive a Chinese herbal medicine mask plus red light once per week for the same duration. Patients in both groups were given oral viaminate capsules, doxycycline, zinc gluconate, and topical metronidazole. Efficacy was evaluated with respect to symptom score, cure rate, and response rate up to 2 weeks following the final treatment, and time points for assessment included baseline (D0 ), the visit before each treatment (D10 and D20 for the treatment group, and D7 , D14 , and D21 for the control group), and 2 weeks after treatment (D34 for the treatment group and D35 for the control group). Safety was assessed by recording adverse effects. RESULTS: Treatment with PDT significantly improved acne lesions and reduced scar formation. The treatment group had a significantly lower symptom score, a higher cure rate, and response rate than the control group. No systemic side effects occurred. CONCLUSION: The treatment of acne conglobata with PDT is associated with a high cure rate, short treatment period, few side effects, and reduced scar formation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the treatment of acne conglobata with PDT.

Expression and localization of activin receptor-interacting protein 2 in mouse tissues.

Activin plays important roles in reproductive tissues as a stimulator of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion. Activin receptor-interacting protein 2 (ARIP2) has been recently identified in mouse tissues as a regulatory protein of activin signal transduction. However, the localization and function of ARIP2 are not well characterized. In this study, we found that ARIP2 mRNA and protein were widely expressed in mouse tissues by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. The immunoreactivities of ARIP2 were mainly localized at myocardial cells of heart, Leydig cells in testis, macrophages and epithelial cells of bronchus in lung, renal tubule and collecting tubule, pancreatic islet, adrenal gland, adenohypophysis and hypothalamus by immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, ARIP2 overexpression down-regulated signal transduction induced by activin A in pituitary gonadotroph LbetaT2 cells and inhibited FSH secretion from primary cultured anterior pituitary cells induced by activin A. These findings suggest that ARIP2 is widely distributed in various tissues and may be a negative regulator of activin action in pituitary cells.

[Fixed-point release with small needle knife for the treatment of upper plexus thoracic outlet syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To study therapeutic effects and mechanisms of fixed-point release with small needle knife for the treatment of upper plexus thoracic outlet syndrome. METHODS: Among 32 patients, 22 patients were female, and 10 patients were male, ranging in age from 25 to 55 years. The disease course ranged from one month to 3 years. All the patients were unilateral thoracic outlet syndrome. The painful trabs at the facet joints of C(5,6) and infraspinatus muscle were fixed-point released one to four times every week. RESULTS: All the patients relieved pain immediately after treatment. Among 26 patients with decreased muscle strength before operation, 20 patients got muscle strength improved after treatment immediately. Among 18 patients with touch and pain sensation compromised, 8 patients got the sensation improved after operation. All the patients were followed up for 1 year. According to Wood evaluation criterion, 19 patients got an excellent result, 7 good, 3 poor, and 3 bad. One patient was transferred to operation. There were no complications. CONCLUSION: Fixed-point release with small needle knife for the treatment of upper plexus thoracic outlet syndrome is safe and curative.

[Clinical observation on acupuncture combined with Xingnaojing injection for treatment of cerebral hemorrhage at acute stage].

OBJECTIVE: To observe therapeutic effects of different therapies on intracerebral hemorrhage at acute stage. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-five cases of intracerebral hemorrhage at acute stage were randomly divided into a combined treatment group, an acupuncture group, a Xingnaojing group and a routine treatment group, and effects of different treatment programs on the hematoma absorption velocity and nervous function defect scores were observed. RESULTS: All of the treatment groups have obvious therapeutic effects for hematoma absorption and nervous function defect score, with the best therapeutic effect in the combined treatment group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture combined with Xingnaojing injectio is an effective therapy for intracerebral hemorrhage at acute stage.