[Clinical comprehensive evaluation of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills].

Based on literature and questionnaire research, related evidence and related data on Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills were collected in terms of safety, effectiveness, economy, innovation, suitability, and accessibility. In addition, multi-criteria decision analysis(MCDA) model was used to comprehensively evaluate the clinical value of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills. Quality control was carried out strictly based on evidence-based medicine evaluation. Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills were recommended for stable fatigue angina of coronary heart disease with Qi deficiency and blood stasis by guidelines and experts. The conventional treatment of western medicine adds Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills to reduce the frequency of angina attacks, shorten the duration, improve exercise tolerance, and improve the quality of life and Chinese symptoms, and the effectiveness is rated as grade A. Adverse reactions are mostly general adverse reactions, and no serious adverse reactions have been reported, consistent with the known risks listed in the instruction for adverse events, contraindications, and precautions. The safety is rated as grade A, and the daily cost is 7.74 yuan. The cost-effectiveness shows that it is a treatment regimen with pharmacoeconomic advantages, and the economic performance is rated as grade A. According to specialist research, Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills have good clinical innovation and service innovation, and innovation is rated as grade A. There are no special storage conditions, medicinal material ingredients, or other restrictions, and the clinical use meets the specifications of the medication guidelines. The suitability is rated as grade A. The price level, availability, and affordability of drugs are generally good, and the accessibility is rated as grade A. The clinical value of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pills is great.

[Guidelines for economic evaluation of post-marketing Chinese patent medicine].

With the premise of drug safety and effectiveness, pharmacoeconomic evaluation can provide optimal solutions for diversified decision-making application scenarios from different research perspectives while maximizing the rational utilization of existing healthcare resources. Chinese patent medicine is an essential component of pharmaceutical utilization in China and a significant part of healthcare expenditure in China. However, the economic evaluation of post-marketing Chinese patent medicine is lacking. These evaluations often lack standardization, exhibit varying quality, and are unable to effectively support healthcare decisions, indicating a need for improvement in overall quality. Given this situation, this project has gathered leading experts from China and has strictly adhered to the requirements of the group standards set by the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine in developing Guidelines for economic evaluation of post-marketing Chinese patent medicine, aiming to provide methodological guidance for the post-market pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Chinese patent medicine, enhancing the standardization of pharmacoeconomic evaluations of Chinese patent medicine and the scientific validity of research results, and thereby elevating the overall quality of pharmacoeconomic evaluations for post-marketing Chinese patent medicine. The guidelines adhere to the framework provided by relevant laws and regulations in China and technical guidance documents. It is based on guidance from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theories, focusing on the unique characteristics of TCM. It covers various aspects of pharmacoeconomic evaluation, including fundamental principles, research topic selection, research question definition, study design type selection, cost identification and measurement, health outcomes, and evaluation methods. The guidelines offer methodological recommendations and decision guidance to address common issues and challenges in the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of post-marketing Chinese patent medicine.

Discovery of novel peptide-dehydroepiandrosterone hybrids inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress with effective in vitro and in vivo anti-melanoma activities.

Steroid hybrids have emerged as a type of advantageous compound as they could offer improved pharmacological and pharmaceutical properties. Here, we report a series of novel peptide-dehydroepiandrosterone hybrids, which would effectively induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and lead to apoptosis with outstanding in vitro and in vivo anti-melanoma effects. The lead compound IId among various steroids conjugated with peptides and pyridines showed effective in vivo activity in B16 xenograft mice: in medium- and high-dose treatment groups (60 and 80 mg/kg), compound IId would significantly inhibit the growth of tumours by 98%-99% compared to the control group, with the highest survival rate as well. Further mechanism studies showed that compound IId would damage the endoplasmic reticulum and upregulate the ERS markers C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), which could further regulate caspase and Bcl-2 family proteins and lead to cell apoptosis. The compound IId was also proven to be effective in inhibiting B16 cell migration and invasion.

Post-synthetic modified luminescent metal-organic framework for the detection of berberine hydrochloride in a traditional Chinese herb.

In this work, a novel fluorescence sensor UiO-66-PSM based on post-synthetic modified metal-organic frameworks was prepared for the detection of berberine hydrochloride (BBH) in the traditional Chinese herb Coptis. UiO-66-PSM was synthesized by a simple Schiff base reaction with UiO-66-NH2 and phthalaldehyde (PAD). The luminescence quenching can be attributed to the photo-induced electron transfer process from the ligand of UiO-66-PSM to BBH. The UiO-66-PSM sensor exhibited fast response time, low detection limit, and high selectivity to BBH. Moreover, the UiO-66-PSM sensor was successfully applied to the quantitative detection of BBH in the traditional Chinese herb Coptis, and the detection results obtained from the as-fabricated fluorescence sensing assay were consistent with those of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), indicating that this work has potential applicability for the detection of BBH in traditional Chinese herbs.

The hybridization origin of the Chinese endemic herb genus Notopterygium (Apiaceae): Evidence from population genomics and ecological niche analysis.

Hybridization is recognized as a major force in species evolution and biodiversity formation, generally leading to the origin and differentiation of new species. Multiple hybridization events cannot easily be reconstructed, yet they offer the potential to study a number of evolutionary processes. Here, we used nuclear expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat and large-scale single nucleotide polymorphism variation data, combined with niche analysis, to investigate the putative independent hybridization events in Notopterygium, a group of perennial herb plants endemic to China. Population genomic analysis indicated that the four studied species are genetically well-delimited and that N. forrestii and N. oviforme have originated by hybridization. According to Approximate Bayesian Computation, the best-fit model involved the formation of N. forrestii from the crossing of N. franchetii and N. incisum, with N. forrestii further backcrossing to N. franchetii to form N. oviforme. The niche analyses indicated that niche divergence [likely triggered by the regional climate changes, particularly the intensification of East Asian winter monsoon, and tectonic movements (affecting both Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Qinling Mountains)] may have promoted and maintained the reproductive isolation among hybrid species. N. forrestii shows ecological specialization with respect to their parental species, whereas N. oviforme has completely shifted its niche. These results suggested that the climate and environmental factors together triggered the two-step hybridization of the East Asia herb plants. Our study also emphasizes the power of genome-wide SNPs for investigating suspected cases of hybridization, particularly unravelling old hybridization events.

Study on the Relationship between Five-state Personality and Cattell's 16 Personality Factors Based on Structural Equation Model / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between five-state personality and Cattell's 16 personality factors. MethodsA total of 913 students recruited from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from November 2020 to January 2021 were assessed by using the Five-state Personality Test Form and the 16 Personality Factors Questionnaire （16PF）. The five-state personality scores were compared with national norms and gender differences were examined. Additionally， a structural equation model was established and the model fit was assessed using comparative fit index （CFI）， Tucker-Lewis index （TLI）， and root mean square error of approximation （RMSEA）. The five-state personality （Taiyang， Shaoyang， Yin-yang balance， Shaoyin and Taiyin） was used as individual outcome variables while the 16PF factors was employed as predictor variables. Based on standardized parameter estimation results， we explored the relationships between the five-state personality and 16PF. ResultsA total of 913 students were recruited， and 756 valid samples were obtained after excluding unqualified questionnaires. Among these， the scores of Taiyang， Shaoyang and Taiyin in the 756 school students were significantly lower than the national norms， while the scores of Yin-yang balance was significantly higher （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The scores of Taiyang， Shaoyang， Yin-yang balance and Shaoyin were significantly higher than in males compared to females （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Regarding the relationship between the dimensions of five-state personality and 16PF， the model demonstrated a good fit with CFI and TLI values of 0.993 and 0.980， respectively， and an RMSEA value of 0.027. The 16PF factors， including dominance， social boldness， vigilance， rule-consciousness， tension， and emotional stability， positively predicted the Taiyang personality traits， while privateness and apprehension negatively predicted the Taiyang personality traits （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. For Shaoyang personality traits， factors such as liveliness， social boldness， dominance， and tension positively predicted them， while rule-consciousness， apprehension， and privateness negatively predicted Shaoyang perso-nality traits （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. In the case of Yin-yang balance personality traits， perfectionism， rule-consciousness， emotional stability， and self-reliance positively predicted them， while apprehension negatively predicted Yin-yang balance personality traits （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Regarding Shaoyin personality traits， perfectionism， emotional stability， self-reliance， rule-consciousness， and vigilance positively predicted them， while dominance， social boldness， and liveliness negatively predicted Shaoyin personality traits （P＜0.01）. Apprehension， tension， vigilance， and self-reliance positively predicted Taiyin personality traits， while social boldness， rule-consciousness， and intelligence negatively predicted Taiyin personality traits （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionThere is a significant correlation between five-state personality test and 16PF with 16PF factors capable of predicting five-state personality factors. The five-state personality demonstrates scientific validity and effectiveness.

Foliar Spraying of Selenium Combined with Biochar Alleviates Cadmium Toxicity in Peanuts and Enriches Selenium in Peanut Grains.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil, particularly in peanut production, is a problem that has attracted global concern and needs solutions urgently. Selenium (Se) can alleviate Cd toxicity; however, the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Therefore, two varieties of peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.), "Huayu 23" and "Huayu 20", were chosen as the target crops for this study. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of two Se application methods combined with biochar on the accumulation of Cd and Se, and the best application method was identified. In addition, the role of Se in alleviating Cd toxicity in peanuts was studied. The results indicated that both Se and biochar decreased the Cd content in peanuts and alleviated Cd toxicity. However, the combined application of foliar Se and biochar significantly increased the peanut biomass by 73.44-132.41%, increased the grain yield of Huayu 23 by 0.60-1.09 fold, and Huayu 20 by 2.38-3.48 fold. Additionally, Cd content in peanut grains was decreased by 32.81-50.07%, and Se content was increased by 31.57-99.75 folds. Biochar can decrease the absorption of Cd from the soil, while Se can increase the accumulation of Cd in cell vacuoles by increasing glutathione and phytochelatin to decrease the movement of Cd into the grains. Therefore, our results indicate that the combined application of foliar Se and biochar can effectively promote the enrichment of Se in peanuts and suppress Cd toxicity.

Systematic analysis of the metabolites of Angelicae Pubescentis Radix by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with metabonomics approaches after oral administration to rats.

Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR) is a typical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has been widely used to treat rheumatism and headache diseases in China. This research aimed to illustrate the metabolites of APR in vivo to lay a foundation for the clinics application. A UPLC-Q-TOF-MS method combined with metabonomics approaches is used to address this objective. The separation was achieved on an Agilent SB-C18 column (1.8 µm, 2.1 × 50 mm) with a gradient elution system (ACN and 0.1 % formic acid-water). An electrospray ionization (ESI) was used for mass spectrometer and operated in a full-scan mode at m/z 100 - 800. The data were collected in the positive ion mode and analyzed by the Masslynx 4.1 and SIMCA 13.0 software. Furthermore, an orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) using SIMCA 13.0 software was applied to investigate the differences between the blank and drug groups in bio-samples of rats (plasma, urine, feces). Totally 213 compounds including 41 prototype ingredients, 107 phase I and 65 phase II metabolites were detected, according to the MS and MS/MS data. Among them, 134 metabolites are potential new compounds.

Acupuncture techniques for COPD: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This is the second part of a large spectrum systematic review which aims to identify and assess the evidence for the efficacy of non-pharmacological acupuncture techniques in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The results of all techniques except for filiform needle are described in this publication. METHODS: Eleven different databases were screened for randomised controlled trials up to June 2019. Authors in pairs extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias independently. RevMan 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-three trials met the inclusion criteria, which involved the follow techniques: AcuTENS (7 trials), moxibustion (11 trials), acupressure (7 trials), ear acupuncture (6 trials), acupressure and ear acupuncture combined (1 trial) and cupping (1 trial). Due to the great heterogeneity, only 7 meta-analysis could be performed (AcuTENS vs sham on quality of life and exercise capacity, acupressure vs no acupressure on quality of life and anxiety and ear acupuncture vs sham on FEV1 and FEV1/FVC) with only acupressure showing statistical differences for quality of life (SMD: -0.63 95%CI: - 0.88, - 0.39 I2 = 0%) and anxiety (HAM-A scale MD:-4.83 95%CI: - 5.71, - 3.94 I2 = 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, strong evidence in favour of any technique was not found. Acupressure could be beneficial for dyspnoea, quality of life and anxiety, but this is based on low quality trials. Further large well-designed randomised control trials are needed to elucidate the possible role of acupuncture techniques in the treatment of COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (identifier: CRD42014015074).

Filiform needle acupuncture for copd: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This is the first part of a larger spectrum systematic review which aims to identify and evaluates the effectiveness of all different non-pharmacological acupuncture techniques used for COPD. In this first publication, we describe the results of filiform needle acupuncture METHODS: Randomised controlled trials up to May 2019 were searched in 11 databases. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment was conducted in pairs independently. RevMan 5.3 was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: 28 trials using filiform needle alone or in combination of other techniques were included. Compared with no acupuncture, no difference was seen for dyspnoea, but statistical benefits were found on quality of life (Std. MD: -0.62, 95%CI: -0.90, -0.34), exercise capacity (stable subgroup) (6MWT MD: 33.05 m, 95%CI: 19.11, 46.99) and lung function (FEV1% MD: 1.58, 95%CI: 0.51, 2.66). Compared with sham, statistical benefits were found on dyspnoea (Std. MD: -1.07, 95%CI: -1.58, -0.56), quality of life (Std. MD: -0.81, 95%CI: -1.12, -0.49), exercise capacity (6MWT MD: 76.68 m, 95% CI: 39.93, 113.43) and lung function (FEV1% MD: 5.40, 95%CI: 2.90, 7.91; FEV1/FVC MD: 6.64, 95%CI: 3.44, 9.83). CONCLUSIONS: Results show that filiform needle acupuncture might be beneficial for COPD, but due to the low quality of the studies this should be confirmed by future well-designed trials. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (identifier: CRD42014015074).

Tissue distribution study of Angelica dahurica cv. Yubaizhi in rat by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and specific ultra-performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass (UPLC-MS/MS) spectrometric method was established to investigate tissue distribution of fourteen coumarins of Angelica Dahurica cv. Yubaizhi roots (ADYR) in rat tissues, including isoimperatorin (1), imperatorin (2), isooxypeucedanin (3), byakangelicin (4), oxypeucedanin hydrate (5), bergapten (6), 2"R-neobyakangelicol (7), phellopterin (8), xanthotoxin (9), isopimpinellin (10), oxypeucedanin ethanolate (11), isobyakangelicol (12), columbianetin (13), (-)-marmesin (14). Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in multiple-reaction-mode (MRM). The method established in this assay was successfully applied to tissue distribution study of the selected 14 coumarins after oral administration of the extract of ADYR in rat tissues, including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine, muscle, testis, and brain. Tissue distribution characteristics of the fourteen coumarins were clearly elucidated, and the results of this study indicated that the fourteen coumarins were distributed to rat tissues rapidly and could be detected in all of the selected tissues after oral administration. Concentrations of the coumarins were obviously higher in kidney, liver and stomach tissues, and lower in testis, brain and muscle tissues. As an important part of ADMET/Act. study on ADYR, the tissue distribution of multiple coumarins of ADYR in rats provides a significant basis for better evaluation of the metabolism and disposition process in vivo of the herb medicine. The information provided in this research is very useful for further understanding of the metabolic mechanism of ADYR in vivo.

Theoretical and Clinical Studies of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine for Infertile Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Infertility with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR) is a major problem in the field of reproductive health and it has attracted great attention worldwidely.Function deficiency of the kidney is one of the fundamental pathogenesis for DOR.Traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) have a long history with rich experience for the treatment of infertility.Some TCMs are very effective in the treatment of kidney deficiency for infertility with DOR.The integrated TCMs and western medicine,and combination of disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation may help for diagnosis and treatment of infertility with DOR.We adopt the concept of unified treatment for special disease,and the methods and principle of treatment can be used.Therefore,we adopt the TCM concept of kidney-tonifying,blood-nourishing,liver-dispersing and spleen-invigorating.The TCMs kidney-tonifying formulae are added and subtracted.TCMs can regulate the reproductive function via multiple systems for simultaneous conditioning of follicular development and ovulation.At the same time,a hypothesis of " simultaneous conditioning of follicular development and ovulation" was proposed.Two-stage therapy with integrated TCMs and western medicine has been used,mainly for increasing the number of eggs,and improving follicle quality.The goal is to achieve simultaneous conditioning of follicular development and ovulation and ultimately for effective treatment of infertility with DOR.

Inhibition of miR-128-3p by Tongxinluo Protects Human Cardiomyocytes from Ischemia/reperfusion Injury via Upregulation of p70s6k1/p-p70s6k1.

Background and Aims: Tongxinluo (TXL) is a multifunctional traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, no studies have explored whether TXL can protect human cardiomyocytes (HCMs) from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Reperfusion Injury Salvage Kinase (RISK) pathway activation was previously demonstrated to protect the hearts against I/R injury and it is generally activated via Akt or (and) Erk 1/2, and their common downstream protein, ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70s6k). In addition, prior studies proved that TXL treatment of cells promoted secretion of VEGF, which could be stimulated by the increased phosphorylation of one p70s6k subtype, p70s6k1. Consequently, we hypothesized TXL could protect HCMs from I/R injury by activating p70s6k1 and investigated the underlying mechanism. Methods and Results: HCMs were exposed to hypoxia (18 h) and reoxygenation (2 h) (H/R), with or without TXL pretreatment. H/R reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, increased bax/bcl-2 ratios and cytochrome C levels and induced HCM apoptosis. TXL preconditioning reversed these H/R-induced changes in a dose-dependent manner and was most effective at 400 µg/mL. The anti-apoptotic effect of TXL was abrogated by rapamycin, an inhibitor of p70s6k. However, inhibitors of Erk1/2 (U0126) or Akt (LY294002) failed to inhibit the protective effect of TXL. TXL increased p70s6k1 expression and, thus, enhanced its phosphorylation. Furthermore, transfection of cardiomyocytes with siRNA to p70s6k1 abolished the protective effects of TXL. Among the micro-RNAs (miR-145-5p, miR-128-3p and miR-497-5p) previously reported to target p70s6k1, TXL downregulated miR-128-3p in HCMs during H/R, but had no effects on miR-145-5p and miR-497-5p. An in vivo study confirmed the role of the p70s6k1 pathway in the infarct-sparing effect of TXL, demonstrating that TXL decreased miR-128-3p levels in the rat myocardium during I/R. Transfection of HCMs with a hsa-miR-128-3p mimic eliminated the protective effects of TXL. Conclusions: The miR-128-3p/p70s6k1 signaling pathway is involved in protection by TXL against HCM apoptosis during H/R. Overexpression of p70s6k1 is, therefore, a potential new strategy for alleviating myocardial reperfusion injury.

QTL mapping of selenium content using a RIL population in wheat.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that plays various roles in human health. Understanding the genetic control of Se content and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping provide a basis for Se biofortification of wheat to enhance grain Se content. In the present study, a set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from two Chinese winter wheat varieties (Tainong18 and Linmai6) was used to detect QTLs for Se content in hydroponic and field trials. In total, 16 QTLs for six Se content-related traits were detected on eight chromosomes, 1B, 2B, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5D, 6A, and 7D. Of these, seven QTLs were detected at the seedling stage and nine at the adult stage. The contribution of each QTL to Se content ranged from 7.37% to 20.22%. QSsece-7D.2, located between marker loci D-3033829 and D-1668160, had the highest contribution (20.22%). This study helps in understanding the genetic basis for Se contents and will provide a basis for gene mapping of Se content in wheat.

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury-Modulated Proteins in Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells and the Protective Role of Tongxinluo.

BACKGROUND: The protection of endothelial cells (ECs) against reperfusion injury has received little attention. In this study, we used Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) labeling proteomics to investigate the modulated proteins in an in vitro model of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and their alteration by traditional Chinese medicine Tongxinluo (TXL). METHODS: Human CMECs were subjected to 2 h of hypoxia followed by 2 h of reoxygenation with different concentrations of TXL Protein expression profiles of CMECs were determined using tandem mass spectrometry. We evaluated several proteins with altered expression in I/R injury and summarized some reported proteins related to I/R injury. RESULTS: TXL dose-dependently decreased CMEC apoptosis, and the optimal concentration was 800 µg/mL. I/R significantly altered proteins in CMECs, and 30 different proteins were detected between a normal group and a hypoxia and serum deprivation group. In I/R injury, TXL treatment up-regulated 6 types of proteins including acyl-coenzyme A synthetase ACSM2B mitochondrial (ACSM2B), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), transcription factor SOX-17 (SOX17), sequestosome-1 isoform 1 (SQSTM1), and TBC1 domain family member 10B (TBC1D10B). Also, TXL down-regulated 5 proteins including angiopoietin-2 isoform c precursor (ANGPT2), cytochrome c oxidase assembly factor 5 (COA5), connective tissue growth factor precursor (CTGF), cathepsin L1 isoform 2 (CTSL), and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (LOC101930123). These types of proteins mainly had vital functions, including cell proliferation, stress response, and regulation of metabolic process. CONCLUSIONS: The study presented differential proteins upon I/R injury through a proteomic analysis. TXL modulated the expression of proteins in CMECs and has a protective role in response to I/R.

Tongxinluo exerts protective effects via anti-apoptotic and pro-autophagic mechanisms by activating AMPK pathway in infarcted rat hearts.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? In a rat model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we investigated the effect of Tongxinluo (TXL) treatment. Does TXL activate autophagy and attenuate apoptosis of cardiomyocytes through the AMPK pathway to facilitate survival of cardiomyocytes and improve cardiac function? What is the main finding and its importance? Major findings are as follows: (i) TXL treatment preserved cardiac function and reduced ventricular remodelling, infarct size and inflammation in rat hearts after AMI; (ii) TXL treatment dramatically increased autophagy and inhibited apoptosis in myocardium; and (iii) the AMPK signalling pathway played a crucial role in mediating the beneficial effects of TXL. Tongxinluo (TXL) has been demonstrated to have a protective role during ischaemia-reperfusion after acute myocardial infarction, but the long-term effects and underlying mechanisms are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TXL could have an effect on apoptosis or autophagy of cardiomyocytes through the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 75) were randomly divided to sham, control, TXL (4 mg kg-1  day-1 orally), compound C (i.p. injection of 10 mg kg-1  day-1 ) and TXL + compound C groups. The extent of fibrosis, infarct size and angiogenesis were determined by pathological and histological studies. Four weeks after acute myocardial infarction, TXL treatment significantly increased ejection fraction, promoted angiogenesis in the peri-infarct region and substantially decreased fibrosis and the size of the infarcted area (P < 0.05). Treatment with TXL also increased AMPK/mTOR phosphorylation, upregulated expression of the autophagic protein LC3 and downregulated expression of the apoptotic protein Bax in the infarcted myocardium (P < 0.05). Addition of the AMPK inhibitor, compound C, counteracted these beneficial effects significantly (P < 0.05). The cardioprotective benefits of TXL against myocardial infarction are related to the inhibition of apoptosis and promotion of autophagy in rat hearts after acute myocardial infarction. This effect may occur through the AMPK signalling pathway.

Who are the users of a traditional Chinese sanfu acupoint herbal patching therapy in China?: A cross-sectional survey.

Sanfu acupoint herbal patching (SAHP) is a unique traditional Chinese medicine therapy, which has become popular for preventing acute attack of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in many regions of mainland China. However, the knowledge about its users is lacking, especially the characteristics of the users and their experience and perspectives.To investigate the demographics of users, conditions for its use and the previous experience of SAHP, as well as users' perspectives to provide baseline information for its practice.A cross-sectional consecutive-sample survey was conducted at outpatient departments from 3 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in northern China. Each participant completed a questionnaire, after informed consent. Data description and analyses were done using SPSS 20.0.Among 949 SAHP users from 3 hospitals, female was predominant (n = 592; 62.4%), aged from 2 to 96 years (median = 52 years). 64.7% (380/587) of regular users have applied consecutively for 3 years or over, and the self-perceived satisfaction rates of respiratory diseases were from 45.9% to 77.7%. Positive attitude toward traditional Chinese medicine was the top reason for choosing SAHP. 42.4% of users held a motivation of being cured by SAHP and with great outcome expectancy on SAHP (70.8%).SAHP users were mainly female adults or elderly population; more than half were regular users, who predominantly used SAHP for various chronic respiratory diseases during their stable stage. The majority of users expressed satisfaction to previous SAHP for their respiratory diseases. 42.4% of users held a motivation of being cured by SAHP and with great outcome expectancy on SAHP (70.8%). The findings from this survey deserve further clinical trials for their clinical effectiveness.

Resveratrol limits diabetes-associated cognitive decline in rats by preventing oxidative stress and inflammation and modulating hippocampal structural synaptic plasticity.

Many patients with diabetes are at increased risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia. Resveratrol, a polyphenol found mainly in grapes and red wine, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities. Studies demonstrated that resveratrol could prevent memory deficits and the increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. However, whether administration of resveratrol could modulate the structural synaptic plasticity in diabetic rats remains unknown. Therefore, we tested its influence against cognitive dysfunction as well as on hippocampal structural synaptic plasticity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Our results showed that the cognitive performances in diabetic group were markedly deteriorated, accompanied by noticeable alterations in oxidative as well as inflammation parameters, SYN and GAP-43 expression were reduced in the hippocampus. In contrast, chronic treatment with resveratrol (10, 20mg/kg) improved neuronal injury and cognitive performance by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation as well as inhibiting synapse loss in diabetic rats. In conclusion, the present study suggested that oral supplementation of resveratrol might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment and/or prevention of diabetic encephalopathy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Methods: A literature search was conducted in eight electronic databases for randomized controlled trials. Results: Seventeen randomized controlled trials involving 1174 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that TCM was superior to Western medicine (WM) in reducing basal serum FSH level [MD = -1.70, 95% CI (-2.63, -0.77); P = 0.0004] and FSH/LH (MD = -0.43, 95% CI [-0.56, -0.30]; P = 0.0001), and the effect was more obvious two months after the last treatment (MD = -4.60, 95% CI [-6.26, -2.90], P < 0.000 01 and MD = -0.56, 95% CI [-0.85, -0.28], P = 0.0001), and increasing antral follicle count (AFC) (MD = 0.44, 95% CI [0.04-0.83]; P = 0.03). The review also revealed the positive role of CMM as an adjuvant to IVF-ET in improving pregnancy rate (PR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.25, 2.46]; P = 0.001). Conclusion: TCM, with its unique way of replenishing the kidney, may provide an effective and safe alternative therapy to patients with DOR. © 2014 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines.

Protective effects of luteolin on cognitive impairments induced by psychological stress in mice.

In the present study, the protective effects of luteolin were investigated against psychological stress-induced cognitive impairment. To emulate the psychological stress, mice received restraint stress for six hours daily, between 9:00 and 15:00 hours, for 21 consecutive days. The results of step-through test, open-field test and Morris Water Maze test demonstrated that psychological stress treatment could result in cognitive impairments in mice. This cognition dysfunction was improved by treatment with low- and medium-dose luteolin. In addition, psychological stress induced an increased serum corticosterone concentration with a decreased serum norepinephrine and dopamine concentration. These alterations were attenuated by treatment with luteolin. Also, psychological stress significantly decreased the glutathione (GSH) concentrations and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were enhanced. However, these oxidative alterations in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus induced by psychological stress were significantly reversed by treatment of luteolin. Further, the current study indicated a decline of catalase (CAT) activities in the hippocampus of the ST group, which was significantly prevented by low, medium and high dose of luteolin. On the other hand, there was no significance in CAT activities of the prefrontal cortex among the six groups. Collectively, the present results suggest that luteolin treatment serves as a key role in improving the psychological stress-induced cognitive impairments.