[Chinese medicinal formulae treat inflammatory bowel diseases through maintaining gut flora homeostasis].

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disorder of the gut, including Crohn's disease(CD) and ulcerative colitis(UC). The occurrence and development of IBD involves multiple pathogenic factors, and the dybiosis of gut flora is recognized as an important pathogenic mechanism of IBD. Therefore, restoring and maintaining the balance of gut flora including bacteria and fungi has become an effective option for IBD treatment. Based on the theoretical basis of the interaction between gut flora and IBD, this paper followed the principle of clinical syndrome differentiation for IBD therapy by traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), and summarized several Chinese medicinal formulae commonly used in IBD patients with large intestine damp-heat syndrome, intermingled heat and cold syndrome, spleen deficiency and dampness accumulation syndrome, spleen and kidney yang deficiency syndrome, liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome, and severe heat poisoning syndrome. The therapeutic and regulatory effects of Shaoyao Decoction, Qingchang Suppository, Wumei Pills, Banxia Xiexin Decoction, Shenling Baizhu Powder, Lizhong Decoction, Sishen Pills, Tongxie Yaofang, Baitouweng Decoction, Gegen Qinlian Decoction, and Houttuyniae Herba prescriptions on gut flora of IBD patients were emphasized as well as the mechanisms. This study found that Chinese medicinal formulae increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, and other beneficial bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids, and reduced the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and other harmful bacteria to restore the balance of gut flora, thus treating IBD. Confronting the recalcitrance and high recurrence of IBD, Chinese medicinal formulae provide new opportunities for IBD treatment through intervening dysbiosis of gut flora.

[Effect of curcumin on radiosensitization of CNE-2 cells and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of curcumin (Cur) on radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2 and its mechanism. METHOD: The effect of curcumin on radiosensitivity was determined by the clone formation assay. The cell survival curve was fitted by Graph prism 6. 0. The changes in cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The differential expression of long non-coding RNA was detected by gene chip technology. Part of differentially expressed genes was verified by Real-time PCR. RESULT: After 10 micro mol L-1 Cur had worked for 24 h, its sensitization enhancement ratio was 1. 03, indicating that low concentration of curcumin could increase the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells; FCM displayed a significant increase of G2 phase cells and significant decrease of S phase cells in the Cur combined radiation group. In the Cur group, the GUCY2GP, H2BFXP, LINC00623 IncRNA were significantly up-regulated and ZRANB2-AS2 LOC100506835, FLJ36000 IncRNA were significantly down-regulated. CONCLUSION: Cur has radiosensitizing effect on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2 cells. Its mechanism may be related to the changes in the cell cycle distribution and the expression of long non-coding IncRNA.

[Preliminary screening of activity fraction of Alchornea trewioides suppresses expression of subgenomic hepatitis C virus RNA in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To screen activity fraction of Alchornea trewioides which suppresses expression of subgenomic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) RNA in vitro. METHODS: Anti-HCV effects in vitro were examined in an HCV subgenomic replicon cell culture system--CBRH7919 (Jneo3-5B). The cells were exposed to different concentrations of A. trewioides initial ethanol extracts, portions of petroleum ether,ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts with interferon a combined with ribavirin as positive control. The content of HCV RNA was examined by Quantitative PCR. The expression levels of functional proteins NS3 were examined in all groups by Western blot. Cell proliferation test with CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of drugs. RESULTS: The study showed that exposure of CBRH7919 (Jneo3-5B) cells to ethyl acetate extract of A. trewioides resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of subgenomic HCV RNA replication and NS3 protein expression ability among the four extracts (P < 0.05). The activity of ethyl acetate extract was increased by 5.71 times than that of the initial ethanol extract. IC50 to subgenomic HCV RNA was 14.60 mg/L, CC50 to CBRH7919 (Jneo3-5B) cells was 40.30 mg/L and the treatment index (TI) was 2. 76. CONCLUSION: The ethyl acetate extract of A. trewioides is the activity fraction which can significantly interfere with subgenomic HCV RNA replication and expression of NS3 protein in vitro. These data suggest that ethyl acetate extract isolated from A. trewioides may have potential use as an anti-HCV compound.

[Effect of dachengqi decoction on expressions of TLR4 and TNF-alpha in the lung and the large intestine of mice with endotoxemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Dachengqi Decoction (DCQD) on the key signaling molecules in lung and large intestine of mice with endotoxemia for exploring the exterior-interior relation between Fei and Dachang. METHODS: A total of 32 BALB/c mice were randomly and equally allocated into four groups: mice in Group C and D were made into endotoxemia model by intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS); while those in Group A and B were not modeled but given intraperitoneal injection of saline instead. Thirty min after then, saline to Group A and C, and DCQD to Group B and D were given by gastric infusion, and mice were sacrificed 6 h later. Their tissues of lung and large intestine were taken for observing pathological changes by inverted microscopy with HE staining; detecting expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) by LiquiChip system; determining gene transcription and protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, and the correlation of TNF-alpha and TLR4 levels in the lung and the large intestine tissue was analyzed. RESULTED: Compared with Group C, hemorrhage, pathologic toxemic features, including pulmonary edema and inflammatory cell infiltration as well as intestinal wall congestion and neutrophil infiltration, were significantly alleviated in Group D. Levels of TNF-alpha expression, TLR4 protein expression and gene transcription raised significantly in the modeled mice (P < 0.01), but comparison between the two modeled groups showed that the three parameters were lower in Group D than in Group C (P < 0. 01 or P < 0.05) respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the levels of TNF-alpha expression, TLR4 protein expression and gene transcription in pulmonary tissues were positively correlated with those in large intestinal tissues respectively (r = 0.973, P < 0.01, r = 0.906, P < 0.01, and r = 0.880, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The effects of DCQD in alleviating pulmonary and large intestinal inflammation induced by endotoxemia might be correlated to its reduction on levels of TNF-alpha expression, TLR4 protein expression and gene transcription. Levels of the three parameters in the lung are correlated with the corresponding levels in the large intestine, which suggested the existence of exterior-interior relation between Fei and Dachang.

Proteomic analysis of chronic restraint stress-induced Gan (肝)-stagnancy syndrome in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the proteomic characteristics of Gan (肝)-stagnancy syndrome (GSS) by seeking the differential protein in blood and tissues of GSS model rats. METHODS: GSS model rats were established by chronic restraint stress, keeping rats in restrain chamber for 6 h every day for 21 successive days. Their blood and liver samples were collected at the end of experiment for differential protein detection with methods of isoelectrofocusing and polyacrylamide SDS-PAGE, silver staining, and scanning. The gel images were analyzed with Imagemaster 2D Elite software, and the excavated differential protein spots were identified with matrix assistant laser resolving TOF mass spectrometry, Western blot, ELISA, and RT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS: A method for isolating the protein in blood serum and tissues by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was established and optimized. Six serum proteins and three liver proteins that differentially expressed were identified. The down-regulated differential proteins in serum of GSS model rats were serum albumin precursor, beta 1 globin, antibody against muscle acetylcholine receptor, Ig lambda-2 C region, and transthyretin (TTR), and those in liver tissue were aryl sulfotransferase, enoyl-CoA hydratase, and TTR. TTR down-regulation was found in both serum and liver. Preliminary biological information analysis showed that these differential proteins involved in immune, neuroendocrine, nutrition, and substance metabolism. CONCLUSION: Proteomic analysis of differential proteins showed that TTR, aryl sulfotransferase, and enoyl-CoA hydratase expressions are downregulated in the GSS model rats, suggesting that the susceptibility of cancer could be enhanced by chronic stress.