Molecular mechanism of Xiaohuoluo wan for rheumatoid arthritis by integrating in vitro and in vivo chemomics and network pharmacology.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is unclear. Xiaohuoluo wan (XHLW) is a classical Chinese medicine that is particularly effective in the treatment of RA. Given the chemical composition of XHLW at the overall level has been little studied and the molecular mechanism for the treatment of RA is not clear, we searched for the potential active compounds of XHLW and explored their anti-inflammatory mechanism in the treatment of RA by flexibly integrating the high-resolution ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)-based in vitro and in vivo chemomics, network pharmacology, and other means. The results of the study identified that the active compounds of XHLW, such as alkaloids, nucleosides, and fatty acids, may play an anti-inflammatory role by regulating key targets such as IL-2, STAT1, JAK3, and MAPK8, inducing immune response through IL-17 signaling pathway, T-cell receptor, FoxO, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and so forth, inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors and resisting oxidative stress and other pathways to treat RA. The results of this study provide referable data for the screening of active compounds and the exploration of molecular mechanisms of XHLW in the treatment of RA.

The neuroprotective effects of Liuwei Dihuang medicine in the APP/PS1 mouse model are dependent on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease that progressively impairs cognitive function and memory. The occurrence and development of Alzheimer's disease involves many processes. In response to the complex pathogenesis of AD, the Traditional Chinese medicine formula Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LWD) has been shown to improve the cognitive function of AD animal models. However, the active ingredients and mechanism of action of LWD have not been fully elucidated. In this study, network pharmacological analysis predicted 40 candidate compounds in LWD, acting on 227 potential targets, of which 185 were associated with AD. Through network pharmacological analysis, the mechanism of action of LWD therapy AD is related to the inhibition of inflammatory response, regulation of neuronal state, and autophagy. In this experiment, LWD was detected in the APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model. The objective was to observe the effects of LWD on hippocampal learning and memory ability, Aß clearance, autophagy and inflammatory response in APP/PS1 mice. The results showed that LWD improved long-term memory and working memory in APP/PS1 mice compared with the WT group. At the same time, LWD can increase the expression of hippocampal autophagy biomarkers, reduce the precipitation of Aß, and the activation of microglia and astrocytes. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time that LWD has a neuroprotective effect on APP/PS1 mice and provide theoretical foundation for the development of a new clinical treatment for AD.

Yuquan pill enhance the effect of Western medicine in treatment diabetic nephropathy: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy is glomerular sclerosis caused by diabetic microvascular disease, which is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. At present, the traditional treatment of diabetic nephropathy is mainly based on the control of blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, and other basic treatments using angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker, the clinical reports of relying solely on angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/ angiotensin receptor blocker to delay the course of diabetic nephropathy are not optimistic. Yuquan pill (YQP), a classic traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has clinical reports that it can effectively assist in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy with minimal side effects. However, there has been no systematic review of the YQP in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. This article systematically evaluated the effectiveness and safety of YQP clinical applications. METHODS: The database search include seven databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wanfang database. The search date was set as a randomized controlled trial from the establishment of the database to April 21, 2021. The main outcome indicators include urinealbumin excretion rate, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, Total effective rate. The analysis software uses Stata 15. RESULTS: This study will analyze multiple outcome indicators such as clinical efficacy, urinary albumin excretion rate, blood creatinine value, urea nitrogen, and symptom scores. Provides a the latest evidence for YQP in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN). CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide evidence for the efficacy of YQP in the treatment of DN. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202150030.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes has become a global public health problem and danger to human health. Diabetes is the main cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and lower limb amputation. According to the latest epidemiological survey and research, the overall prevalence of diabetes in mainland China is 11.2%, of which type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for more than 90% acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine have been widely used in the treatment of T2DM. However, we have not found a meta-analysis of their synergistic effects. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of T2DM. METHOD: From inception up to September 20, 2021, the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, AMED, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang databases will be searched. The publication date or language will not be limited. We will apply a combination of medical keywords, including "acupuncture", "Chinese herbal medicine", and "type 2 diabetes mellitus". We will also check other ongoing and unpublished studies in the clinical trial registry. At the same time, we will manually search all reference lists from relevant systematic reviews to find other eligible studies. We will use Review Manager software (REVMAN v5.3 Cochrane Collaboration) to meta-analyze the selected literature. The study for acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of T2DM was a randomized controlled study. Two researchers will independently review the research selection, data extraction, and research quality assessments. Finally, we will observe the outcome measures. RESULTS: This study will generate evidence-based data on the treatment of T2DM with acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine and will provide new ideas and treatment modalities to investigate in future research.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Chinese Herbal Medicine for diabetic nephropathy: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious complications in the development of diabetes mellitus, which has become the main cause of end-stage renal disease and one of the main causes of death in diabetic patients. With the prevalence of diabetes, the number of patients at risk for developing DN is increasing, with 20-40 percent of all patients with diabetes at risk for developing DN. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatments are often combined to treat DN; however, there has been no meta-analysis on their synergistic effects. Therefore, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine for DN treatment. METHODS: Nine electronic databases were retrieved for this study. The English databases mainly retrieved PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, AMED, and the Cochrane Library, while the CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang databases were used to retrieve the Chinese literature. There is no definite time limit for the retrieval literature, and the languages are limited to Chinese and English. We will consider articles published between database initiation and August 2021. We used Review Manager 5.4, provided by the Cochrane Collaborative Network for statistical analysis. Clinical randomized controlled trials related to acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine for DN were included in this study. Research selection, data extraction, and research quality assessments were independently completed by two researchers. We then assessed the quality and risk of the included studies and observed the outcome measures. RESULTS: This study provides a high-quality synthesis to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine for treating DN. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence to determine whether acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine is an effective and safe intervention for patients with DN. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol of the systematic review does not require ethical approval because it does not involve humans. This article will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202180018.

Tuina for diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, with an incidence ranging from 60% to 90%. With the change in modern dietary structure, the incidence of diabetes is increasing year by year, and DPN is also on the rise. Tuina therapy has been widely used in the treatment of DPN, but there is no systematic review on the treatment of DPN. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of Tuina in the treatment of DPN to clarify its efficacy. METHODS: The following electronic databases will be searched: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, CNKI, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP, and Wan Fang databases. We will consider articles published between database initiation and May 2021. We will use Review Manager 5.4, provided by the Cochrane Collaborative Network for statistical analysis. Clinical randomized controlled trials related to Tuina for diabetic peripheral neuropathy were included in this study. Language is limited to both Chinese and English. Research selection, data extraction, and research quality assessments were independently completed by two researchers. We then assessed the quality and risk of the included studies and observed the outcome measures. RESULTS: This study provides a high-quality synthesis to assess the effectiveness and safety of Tuina for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence to determine whether Tuina is an effective and safe intervention for patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol of the systematic review does not require ethical approval because it does not involve humans. This article will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202150027.

Preparation of chitosan-Cu2+/NH3 physical hydrogel and its properties.

Chitosan (CTS) physical hydrogels crosslinked under gaseous ammonia atmospheres have attracted considerable attentions for their abilities to maximize the biological activities of CTS while maintaining their biocompatibility. However, poor mechanical properties significantly limit their application. The CTS-metal ion complexing hydrogels showed better mechanical properties. However, the formation process is uncontrollable, and the high dosages of metal ions used may cause cytotoxicity. In the present work, CTS-Cu2+/NH3 physical hydrogel with excellent comprehensive properties was prepared by ammonia fumigation and metal ion complexation. Its formation mechanism and structure were investigated. The above physical hydrogel revealed excellent mechanical properties with the mechanical strength up to 0.30 MPa, significantly higher than CTS/NH3 hydrogel, even at much lower Cu2+ contents. And CTS-Cu2+/NH3 hydrogel is more thermal stable than CTS/NH3 hydrogel. In addition, it exhibited specific killing effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results suggest that CTS-Cu2+/NH3 physical hydrogel has a great application potential as a wound dressing.

[Distribution of phosphorus in surface sediments from the Yellow River estuary wetland].

Surface sediments were collected from Yellow River estuary wetland. The distribution of phosphorus in sediments was analyzed with modified SEDEX. The results indicated that the contents of TP in surface sediments varied from 12.12 micromol x g(-1) to 25.37 micromol x g(-1), and the mean value was 20.70 micromol x g(-1), in which the Detrital P and Authigenic P were the main forms. Median particle size was closely related with the distribution of phosphors, Exchangeable P, Authigenic P and Organic P mainly consisted of smaller sediment size, while Detrital P mainly consisted of larger sediment size. The distribution of P in sediment was affected by organic matter. Exchangeable P, organic P and refractory P increased with the increasing TOC. The bio-available phosphorus included exchangeable P, iron-bound P,organic P and ranged from 1.15-6.74 micromol x g(-1), with an average of 4.27 micromol x g(-1) for all sediment samples. The contribution of BAP to TP was 6.35% -30.4%.