An integrated approach of high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based chemical profiling, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to reveal the potential mechanisms of Qishen Gubiao granules for treating coronavirus disease 2019.

Qishen Gubiao granules, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation composed of nine herbs, have been widely used to prevent and treat coronavirus disease 2019 with good clinical efficacy. In the present study, an integrated strategy based on chemical profiling followed by network pharmacology and molecular docking was employed, to explore the active components and potential molecular mechanisms of Qishen Gubiao granules in the therapy of coronavirus disease 2019. Using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique, a total of 186 ingredients corresponding to eight structure types in Qishen Gubiao preparation were identified or structurally annotated with the elucidation of the fragmentation pathways in the typical compounds. The network pharmacology analysis screened 28 key compounds including quercetin, apigenin, scutellarein, luteolin and naringenin acting on 31 key targets, which possibly modulated signal pathways associated with immune and inflammatory responses in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019. The molecular docking results observed that the top 5 core compounds had a high affinity for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and 3-chymotrypsin-like protease. This study proposed a reliable and feasible approach for elucidating the multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-pathways intervention mechanism of Qishen Gubiao granules against coronavirus disease 2019, providing a scientific basis for its further quality evaluation and clinical application.

[PET study of effects of combination of different points on glucose metabolism in the patient of cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe effects of combination of different points on glucose metabolism in the patient of cerebral infarction. METHODS: Neiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26), Fengchi (GB 20), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Taichong (LR 3) were selected for the Xingnao Kaiqiao group (n =7), and Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) for the routine acupuncture group (n = 5). PET-CT was used to observe the local cerebral glucose metabolism. RESULTS: The cerebral regions activated in the the Xingnao Kaiqiao group included infarction center, gyrus temporalis superior, thalamus, gyrus temporalis inferior, gyrus rectus, insula, lateral occipital lobe, parietal lobe and cerebellum, and in the routine acupuncture group included gyrus frontalis inferior, caudate nucleus, cingulated gyrus, hippocampus, precuneus and parietal lobe. CONCLUSION: PET is very suitable for exploring acupuncture mechanisms in treatment of cerebral infarction, and further shows the specificity of acupoints-brain functional region.

[Survey of point prescriptions of acupuncture treatment for urinary retention].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize characteristics of the point prescriptions for acupuncture treatment of urinary retention from 1994 to 2005. METHODS: Review of literature was made from following five aspects: body acupuncture, scalp acupuncture, ear acupuncture, hand acupuncture and abdomen acupuncture. For the prescriptions of body acupuncture, further analysis was made on single point prescription, distal-proximal point association, superior-inferior point association, point selection according to syndrome differentiation and point selection according to disease differentiation. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has affirmative therapeutic effect on urinary retention. However, there are still problems to be resolved in clinical researches at present.

[Effects of acupuncture on blood-lipid levels in the patient of cerebral infarction with hyperlipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture method for consciousness-restoring resuscitation on cerebral infarction with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Sixty cases of apoplexy with hyperlipidemia were randomly divided into a consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture group (treatment group) and a Chinese medicine control group (control group), 30 cases in each group. TCM symptomatic scores and indexes of blood lipids were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate for improvement of blood lipids was 72.4% in the treatment group, which was not different from that (65.5%) in the control group (P> 0.05); the total effective rate for clinical symptoms was 89.7% in the treatment group, which was better than that (62.1%) in the control group (P < 0.05). The treatment group was superior to the control group in improvement of numbness and twinge in extremities, dizziness, distention and oppressed feeling in chest and hypochondrium, anorexia, sleepy and weakness (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture method for consciousness-restoring resuscitation can regulate metabolic disorder of lipids and improve main clinical symptoms in the patient of cerebral infarction with hyperlipidemia.