Role of Acupuncture in Amblyopia Treatment.

CONTEXT: Amblyopia is an ophthalmological developmental disorder that occurs during early childhood due to disrupted binocular vision. It leads to reduced best-corrected visual acuity in one eye (seldom in both eyes) in which the visual acuity of one eye is 2 rows weaker than the other eye on a Snellen vision testing chart. Many studies have reported the outcomes of acupuncture in the treatment of amblyopia. Evidence suggests that acupuncture improves outcomes in children with amblyopia, but these studies are associated with several limitations which may affect the evaluation of the efficacy and reproducibility of studies on acupuncture. One important limitation is the lack of sham acupuncture as a control which has not been used in any clinical trial. The use of nonacupoint acupuncture is suggested as a placebo to improve the quality of evidence and comparability?

THMs, HAAs and NAs production from culturable microorganisms in pipeline network by ozonation, chlorination, chloramination and joint disinfection strategies.

Disinfection is an indispensable process to inactivate pathogens, while unexpected disinfection by-products (DBPs) would also be formed between the reaction of residual disinfectants and microorganisms in the water distribution system (WDS). However, there are few studies referring to the formation of DBPs and DBPs-associated toxicity under various disinfection methods based on microorganisms in the real WDS. In addition, the main contributors of bacterial communities or components that generate DBPs are unclear. In this study, the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs), halo-acetic acids (HAAs), nitrosamines (NAs) from culturable microorganisms in pipeline network by ozonation(O3), chlorination (Cl2), chloramination (NH2Cl) and joint disinfection methods were compared, meanwhile, their calculated toxicities under different oxidation scenarios were also discussed. Moreover, 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequencing was used to identify the main microbial communities. The results demonstrated that THMs and HAAs increased with increasing disinfectant dosages, while the quantity of NAs (mainly nitroso dimethylamine (NDMA)) was not significantly related to disinfectant dosages for each disinfection strategy. Chloroform (TCM) and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) were the dominant THMs and HAAs species, respectively. NDMA existed in the samples before disinfections, which may due to the metabolic activity of microorganisms. Pre-O3 increased THMs formation during subsequent Cl2 and NH2Cl treatment. However, pre-O3 effectively reduced HAAs produced by subsequent chlorination. O3/Cl2 disinfection had the highest DBPs formation potential (DBPFP) (883.6 nM), while its calculated toxicity was similar to that in Cl2 disinfection treatment. Pseudomonas was the most abundant bacterial genus in biofilm of WDS pipeline. This study can aid in an optimal disinfection strategy for water treatment plants to reduce the toxicity of DBPs caused by biomass in pipelines and ensure water quality safety.

Hepatoprotective effect of plant polysaccharides from natural resources: A review of the mechanisms and structure-activity relationship.

Liver injury is a common pathological process, which can result in fatty liver, cirrhosis, fibrosis and even cancer. Polysaccharides isolated from plants have been regarded as an important resource of anti-hepatic lesion due to widely distributed in nature and low toxicity. In order to have a better understand of the protective mechanism on liver function, a comprehensive review of research into plant polysaccharides during recent five years was performed. In total, 66 types of polysaccharides from 58 kinds of plant have shown hepatoprotective effect through the pathological process of inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress by regulating NF-κB, JAK/STAT, TGF-ß, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, caspase cascade, p53 and Nrf2-Keap1 pathways, lipid metabolism as well as cytochrome P450 enzymes. Moreover, correlations between structure and hepatoprotective activities of plant polysaccharides including primary structure, conformation properties, structural modification and content of uronic acid were also preliminarily explored. This review will provide a comprehensive perspective for better understanding the mechanism and development of polysaccharides against liver injury.

NDMA formation from 4,4'-hexamethylenebis (HDMS) during ozonation: influencing factors and mechanisms.

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a toxic disinfection byproduct commonly associated with chloramination, has recently been found to form from an anti-yellowing agent (4,4'-hexamethylenebis (1,1-dimethylsemicarbazide) (HDMS)) during ozonation but the mechanisms are unclear. In this paper, the potential roles of molecular ozone (O3) and hydroxyl radical (∙OH) on NDMA formation from HDMS were investigated under various oxidation conditions (ozone dosages, pH) and different components in water (bromide ion (Br-), bicarbonate ion (HCO3-), sulfate ion (SO42-), and humic acid (HA), as well as natural organic matter (NOM) from a lake). Moreover, HDMS transformation pathways by ozonation were determined. The results indicated that the formation of NDMA was enhanced through the combined effect of O3 and ∙OH compared to that by O3 alone (addition of tert-butyl alcohol (tBA) as ∙OH scavenger). ∙OH itself cannot generate NDMA directly; however, it can transform HDMS to intermediates with higher NDMA yield than parent compound. The NDMA generation was affected (small dosages promoted but high dosages inhibited) by HA or Br- no matter with or without tBA. The presence of SO42- and HCO3- ions lowered NDMA formation through ∙OH scavenging effect. Increasing pH not only increased degradation rate constant by enhancing ∙OH generation but also affected HDMS dissociation ratio, reaching the maximum NDMA formation at pH 7-8. Natural constituents in selected water matrix inhibited NDMA formation. Impacts of these influencing factors on NDMA formation by only O3 however were significantly less pronounced over that by the joint roles of O3 and ∙OH. Based on the result of Q-TOF, LC/MS/MS, and GC/MS, the possible transformation pathways of HDMS by ozonation were proposed. The NDMA enhancement mechanism by the combined effect of O3 and ∙OH can be attributed to greater amounts of intermediates with higher NDMA yield (such as unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH)) produced. These findings provide new understanding of NDMA formation upon ozonation of typical amine-based compounds.

Saikosaponin D from Radix Bupleuri suppresses triple-negative breast cancer cell growth by targeting ß-catenin signaling.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and poor prognosis breast cancers. Currently, chemotherapy with conventional cytotoxic agents is the only available option to treat TNBC. Hence, we identified new therapeutic agents against TNBC from traditional Chinese medicine Radix Bupleuri and unveiled the molecule mechanism of anti-TNBC effects. METHODS: Multi-component bioactivity and structure-guided methods were used to identify the most effective anti-TNBC compound Saikosaponin D (SSD) from Radix Bupleuri. Cell viability and apoptosis assays were employed to demonstrate the effect of SSD on the proliferation and apoptosis of TNBC cells. Dynamic mass redistribution assay, TopFlash assay, western blotting, and special agonist were applied to dissect the potential molecular mechanisms of SSD. RESULTS: We screened twenty fractions in Radix Bupleuri and identified SSD as the most effective component to inhibit the proliferation of TNBC cells. Investigating the interaction of SSD with the frequently overexpressed targets in TNBC led to the identification that it markedly suppressed Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, but did not act on epidermal growth factor receptor and neurotensin receptor-1. Moreover, we demonstrated that SSD significantly repressed ß-catenin and its downstream target genes, resulting in TNBC cell apoptosis. Specifically, docking of SSD to the crystal structure of ß-catenin suggested that SSD interacted with ß-catenin via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction. CONCLUSION: We identified the most effective component SSD from Radix Bupleuri in inhibiting the proliferation of TNBC cells by targeting ß-catenin signaling. Given the important role of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in breast cancer, SSD may present an opportunity to discover new therapeutics for the treatment of TNBC.

Transcriptomic identification of salt-related genes and de novo assembly in common buckwheat (F. esculentum).

Common buckwheat (F. esculentum), annually herbaceous crop, is prevalent in people's daily life with the increasing development of economics. Compared with wheat, it is highly praised with high content of rutin and flavonoid. Common buckwheat is recognized as healthy food with good taste, and the product price of which such as noodles, flour, bread and so on are higher than wheat, and the seeds of which are bigger than that of tartary buckwheat, so if common buckwheat are planted more widely, people will spend less money on this healthy and delicious food. However, soil salinity has been a giant problem for agriculture production. The cultivation of salt tolerant crop varieties is an effective way to make full use of saline alkali land, and the highest salinity that the common buckwheat can sow is at 6.0%, so we chose 100 mM as the concentration of NaCl for treatment. Then we conducted transcriptome comparison between control and treatment groups. Potential regulatory genes related salt stress in common buckwheat were identified. A total of 29.36 million clean reads were produced via an illumina sequencing approach. We de novo assembled these reads into a transcriptome dataset containing 43,772 unigenes with N50 length of 1778 bp. A total of 26,672 unigenes could be found matches in public databases. GO, KEGG and Swiss-Prot classification suggested the enrichment of these unigenes in 47 sub-categories, 25 KOG and 129 pathways, respectively. We got 385 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after comparing the transcriptome data between salt treatment and control groups. There are some genes encoded for responsing to stimulus, cell killing, metabolic process, signaling, multi-organism process, growth and cellular process might be relevant to salt stress in common buckwheat, which will provide a valuable references for the study on mechanism of salt tolerance and will be used as a genetic information for cultivating strong salt tolerant common buckwheat varieties in the future.

Yimu San improves obstetric ability of pregnant mice by increasing serum oxytocin levels and connexin 43 expression in uterine smooth muscle.

Prolonged farrowing remains one of the critical challenges in intensive pig farming. This study aims to explore the effects and mechanism of Yimu San (YMS), a Chinese veterinary medicine micro mist, on delivery ability with mouse models. Thirty-two pregnant mice were randomly divided into a control group and low-YMS, med-YMS, and high-YMS groups. The labor process time and stillbirth rate were recorded, the levels of serum oxytocin and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Contractility measurements of the isolated uterus and the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in uterine smooth muscle were evaluated. The results showed that compared with the control group, the birth process time and stillbirth rate in the med-YMS and high-YMS groups were remarkably lower. The in vitro uterine contractions, levels of oxytocin, PGE2, and Cx43 in the med-YMS and high-YMS groups were significantly higher than those in the control group. The differences of the above measurements between the low-YMS group and the control group were not obvious. It can be speculated that YMS could significantly promote labor in pregnant mice by enhancing the levels of oxytocin, Cx43, and PGE2.

[Chemical constituents from flowers of Gardenia jasminoides].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from flowers of Gardenia jasminoides. METHODS: The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic techniques (NMR) and physicochemical properties. RESULTS: 15 compounds were isolated from flowers of G. jasminoides, and identified as 5, 7, 3'-trihydroxy-6, 4', 5'-trimethoxyflavone (1), 5, 7, 3', 5'- tetrahydroxy-6, 4'-dymethoxyflavone (2), kaempferol (3), quercetin (4), 3beta,23- dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (5), 3beta,19alpha-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (6), 3beta,19alpha,23-trihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (7), emodin (8), physcion (9), crocin-I (10), beta-daucosterol (11), beta-sitosterol (12), stearic acid (13), palmitic acid (14), oleic acid (15). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1 - 15 are isolated from flowers of G. jasminoides and compounds 5 and 6 are isolated from genus Gardenia for the first time.

Two new tigliane diterpene esters from the flower buds of Daphne genkwa.

The phytochemical investigation of the flower buds of Daphne genkwa yielded four highly oxygenated tigliane diterpene esters (1-4), including two new phorbol derivatives, 12-O-(2'E,4'E-decadienoyl)-7-oxo-5-ene-phorbol-13-acetate (1) and 12-O-neodecanoyl-7-oxo-5-ene-phorbol-13-acetate (2). The molecular structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR.

Berberine acutely inhibits the digestion of maltose in the intestine.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The Chinese Goldthread Rhizome has been used in the Traditional Chinese Medicine as an important ingredient of many formulas for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Berberine, the main effective composition of Chinese Goldthread Rhizome, is also effective in treating diabetes in today's clinical practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of berberine which treats acutely on the postprandial blood glucose, and to explore the mechanism of this activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1. One-dose preprandial intragastric administrations of berberine were given to normal animals (dogs and rats), and the postprandial blood glucose concentration curves were measured. Serum insulin enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was only performed in rats. 2. The euglycemic clamp test was performed to evaluate the effect of one-dose berberine intragastric administration on the blood glucose transformation and utilization rate in rats. 3. In the Caco-2 cell monolayer test, the changes of glucose concentration on the apical and basolateral sides were measured when the maltose solution containing berberine was added to the apical side. 4. The inhibition ratio of berberine against α-glucosidase was measured in vitro. 5. The effect of berberine on the fluorescence emission spectrums of α-glucosidase was studied. RESULTS: One-dose preprandial intragastric administration of berberine delayed the rise of post-maltose blood glucose, did not affect postprandial blood glucose after glucose meal, and did not affect the insulin level in normal rats; reduced post-maltose blood glucose in normal dogs. 2. The result of euglycemic clamp test showed that one-dose intragastric administration of berberine had no effect on the blood glucose transformation and utilization rate in rats. 3. Berberine added to the maltose solution on the apical side of Caco-2 cell monolayer reduced the glucose concentration on the apical side. Glucose in basolateral side of all groups cannot be detected. 4. Berberine inhibited the activity of α-glucosidase in vitro. 5. Berberine significantly and concentration dependently quenched the fluorescence emission spectrum of α-glucosidase. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest an additional mechanism of the hypoglycemic activity of berberine by demonstrating its ability to acutely inhibit the α-glucosidase, and support the traditional use of berberine and Chinese Goldthread Rhizome for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of Codonopsis pilosula].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Codonopsis pilosula. METHODS: The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic techniques (NMR) and physicochemical properties. RESULTS: The compounds were isolated as hesperidin(I), n-hexyl beta-sophoroside(II), atractylenolide III (III), lobetyolin(IV), lobetyolinin(V), taraxerol(VI), taraxeryl acetate(VII), alpha-spinasterol(VIII),9,10,13-trihydroxy-(E)-11-octadecenoic acid (IX),beta-sitosterol(X),beta-daucosterol(XI)and sugar(XII). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1 -2 and 9 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Several chromones from the stems of Polygonum aubertii Henry.

Two new 2-alkylchromanones, 2-tricosyl-2,5,7-trihydroxy-chromanone (6) and 2-pentacosyl-2,5,7-trihydroxy-chromanone (7), together with five known 2-alkylated chromones and chromanones (1-5), were isolated from the stems of Polygonum aubertii Henry. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic methods including extensive 1D, 2D NMR ((1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, and HMBC), and HR-ESI-MS techniques. In addition, a plausible biosynthetic pathway for these compounds is described.

Ultrasonic cell grinder extraction of anthraquinones from radix et rhizoma Rhei and determination by ultra-performance liquid chromatography.

An ultrasonic cell grinder extraction (UCGE) method has been developed and applied to extract five anthraquinones (physcion, chrysophanol, emodin, rhein, and aloe-emodin) from radix et rhizoma Rhei. Several parameters of UCGE procedure, including ultrasonic cell grinder running mode, type and volume of extraction solvent and extraction time, were optimized. The determination was preformed on a Waters ultra-performance LC BEH C(18) column using gradient elution system. A baseline separation could be achieved in less than 7.5 min with high resolution. Under the optimized conditions, contents of physcion, chrysophanol, emodin, rhein and aloe-emodin in radix et rhizoma Rhei collected from different cultivated areas were 0-4.22, 0.11-27.64, 0.09-3.49, 0.31-3.31 and 0.13-2.93 mg/g, respectively. Compared with reflux, maceration and ultrasonic bath extractions, the UCGE method was more efficient, faster and easier to be operated, and required lower extraction temperature and less solvent. The results indicated that UCGE was a novel and ideal method for extracting bioactive constituents from plant samples.

Norsesquiterpene derivatives from the roots of Ligularia fischeri.

Four new norsesquiterpene derivatives with various rare skeletons: 1 beta-hydroxy-6 alpha-isobutyryloxy-9-noreremophil-7(11),8(10)-dien-8(12)-olide ( 1), 1 beta-acetoxy-6 alpha-isobutyryloxy-9-noreremophil-7(11),8(10)-dien-8(12)-olide ( 2), ligularate ( 3) and 9-oxoplatyphyllide ( 4), as well as four known sesquiterpenes, platyphyllide ( 5), 1-hydroxyplatyphyllide ( 6), 1 alpha-chloro-6 beta-isobutyryloxy-9-oxo-10 beta-hydroxyfuranoeremophilane ( 7), and 1 alpha-chloro-6 beta-angeloyloxy-9-oxo-10 beta-hydroxyfuranoeremophilane ( 8), have been isolated from an extract of the dried roots of Ligularia fischeri (Compositae). The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic methods including extensive 2D NMR techniques ( (1)H- (1)H COSY, HMQC, HMBC and (1)H- (1)H NOESY) and HR-ESI-MS. In addition, a plausible biosyntheticpathway for compounds 1, 2 and 3 is described.

24-Hydroxyoleanane-type triterpenes from the aerial parts and roots of Oxytropis falcata.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Oxytropis falcata led to the isolation of three new 24-hydroxyoleanane-type triterpenes (1-3), seven known analogues (4-10), and two rare sesquiterpenoids (12, 13). Compounds 6 and 12 were isolated as new natural products. Triterpenes (5, 6, 8, 11) were isolated from the roots of O. falcata. The structures and relative configurations of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and by comparison of their NMR data with those of related compounds. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed the structures of 1-4, and the absolute configuration of 3 was evidenced by the incorporation of DMSO (crystallization solvent) in the crystal lattice.

Sesquiterpenoids from Valeriana tangutica.

A new guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid ethoxyvalerianol (1) and one known sesquiterpenoid valeranone (2) together with selina-4,7(11)-diene (3) and selinene (4), which were obtained from (+)-maaliol (5) by decyclization and dehydration, were isolated from Valeriana tangutica. Their structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data and HR-ESI-MS analysis.

Phytochemical investigation of Anaphalis lactea.

Four new compounds, 2',6'-dihydroxy-3'-(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-3-butenyl)-4'-methoxychalcone ( 1), 4,6-dihydroxy-7-isobutyryl-5-prenyl-2(3 H)-benzofuranone ( 4), 7- O-(beta- D-glucopyranosyloxy)-5-hydroxy-1(3 H)-isobenzofuranone ( 6) and (2 R,3 S)-3-methyl-2-(5-oxo-2-isopropenylhexyl)-cyclopentanone ( 7), along with thirteen known compounds were isolated from the whole plant of Anaphalis lactea. Their structures were established based on spectroscopic methods including IR, UV, MS, CD, 1 D NMR and 2 D NMR techniques. Compounds 2, 4 - 6 and 8 - 16 were tested for free-radical scavenging properties in the DPPH assays.

Dammarane- and taraxastane-type triterpenoids from Saussurea oligantha Franch.

A new dammarane triterpenoid oliganthas A (1) and a new taraxastane triterpenoid oliganthas B (2), as well as five known taraxastane triterpenoids, ptiloepoxide (3), taraxast-20(30)ene-3beta,21alpha-diol (4), 22-oxo-20-taraxasten-3beta-ol (5), taraxast-20-ene-3beta,30-diol (6), and taraxastane-3beta,20alpha-diol (7), were isolated from the whole plant of Saussurea oligantha Franch. Their structures were elucidated by a series of spectroscopic methods. These compounds, especially taraxastanes 2, 5, and 6, exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Actinomyces viscosus ATCC27044.

[Medicinal species of genus Polygonum s. lat. distributed in Anhui Province].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the resource of medicinal plants of genus Polygonum s. lat. distributed in Anhui Province. METHOD: Conducting field investigation and consulting related specimens and data. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The distribution, growing environment and medicinal use of 32 taxa have been clarified. A scientific basis for further study for these medicinal plants has been provided.

[Species of Ligularia in the northwestern China and their medicinal uses].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species of Ligularia distributed in the northwestern China and their medicinal uses in the local area. METHOD: Field investigation, specimen collection, taxonomic study and datum check were adopted. RESULT: There are 29 species and 1 varieties of Ligularia distributed in the northwestern China, and 18 species of them had been used as folk medicines with the function of resolving phlegm, relieving cough, clearing heat and toxins. CONCLUSION: The northwestern China is abundant in medicinal resource of Ligularia.