TeaAS: a comprehensive database for alternative splicing in tea plants (Camellia sinensis).

Alternative splicing (AS) increases the diversity of transcripts and proteins through the selection of different splice sites and plays an important role in the growth, development and stress tolerance of plants. With the release of the reference genome of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and the development of transcriptome sequencing, researchers have reported the existence of AS in tea plants. However, there is a lack of a platform, centered on different RNA-seq datasets, that provides comprehensive information on AS.To facilitate access to information on AS and reveal the molecular function of AS in tea plants, we established the first comprehensive AS database for tea plants (TeaAS, http://www.teaas.cn/index.php ). In this study, 3.96 Tb reads from 66 different RNA-seq datasets were collected to identify AS events. TeaAS supports four methods of retrieval of AS information based on gene ID, gene name, annotation (non-redundant/Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes/gene ontology annotation or chromosomal location) and RNA-seq data. It integrates data pertaining to genome annotation, type of AS event, transcript sequence, and isoforms expression levels from 66 RNA-seq datasets. The AS events resulting from different environmental conditions and that occurring in varied tissue types, and the expression levels of specific transcripts can be clearly identified through this online database. Moreover, it also provides two useful tools, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool and Generic Genome Browser, for sequence alignment and visualization of gene structure.The features of the TeaAS database make it a comprehensive AS bioinformatics platform for researchers, as well as a reference for studying AS events in woody crops. It could also be helpful for revealing the novel biological functions of AS in gene regulation in tea plants.

Efficacy and safety of Shenyankangfu Tablet, a Chinese patent medicine, for primary glomerulonephritis: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m2, and 24-hour proteinuria level of 0.5-3.0 g, were recruited in 41 hospitals across 19 provinces in China and were randomly divided into five groups: SYKFT, losartan potassium 50 mg or 100 mg, SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg or 100 mg. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group. CONCLUSION: SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Efficacy and safety of Shenyankangfu Tablet, a Chinese patent medicine, for primary glomerulonephritis: A multicenter randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease.@*OBJECTIVE@#This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium.@*DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION@#This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m@*MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES@#The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment.@*RESULTS@#A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group.@*CONCLUSION@#SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER@#NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Imperatorin ameliorates learning and memory deficits through BDNF/TrkB and ERK/CaMKIIα/CREB signaling in prenatally-stressed female offspring.

Prenatal stress (PS) can lead to impaired spatial learning and memory in offspring. Imperatorin (IMP) is a naturally occurring furanocoumarin with many pharmacological properties. However, the effects of IMP on cognitive impairment induced by PS and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the protective effect of IMP treatment after PS on learning and memory deficits in female offspring at postnatal 60 days. After treating prenatally-stressed offspring with IMP (15 and 30 mg/kg) for 28 days, we found that IMP increased body weight and ameliorated spatial learning and memory and working memory deficits in female offspring rats. Meanwhile, hippocampal Glu and serum corticosterone levels in prenatally-stressed offspring were significantly decreased after IMP administration. Additionally, IMP treatment significantly increased BDNF, TrkB, CaMKII, and CREB mRNA expression in the hippocampus of offspring rats. Furthermore, PS-mediated induction of RKIP protein and mRNA expression and glucocorticoid receptor protein expression in the hippocampus of offspring rats were significantly decreased by IMP treatment, and the protein expression of BDNF and TrkB and relative levels of p-EKR/ERK, p-CaMKIIα/CaMKIIα, and p-CREB/CREB were remarkably increased after IMP treatment. Taken together, IMP can ameliorate PS-induced learning and memory deficits through BDNF/TrkB and ERK/CaMKIIα/CREB signaling pathway and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

[Screening combination ratio and exploring mechanism of Momordicae Semen and Epimedii Folium].

The aim of this paper was to obtain low toxicity and high efficiency anti-tumor Chinese medicine through screening the combination ratios of Momordicae Semen and Epimedii Folium, and to explore the anti-tumor mechanism of the combination of two drugs by observing their effect on apoptosis-related proteins in cancer cells. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay was used to observe the effect of drug combination on the proliferation of tumor cells from different tissue sources. The effects of the combination of the two drugs on tumor cells were analyzed by Compusyn software. Plate cloning assay was used to observe the effect of combination of these two drugs on the proliferation of A549 cells in vitro. The expression of reactive oxygen species(ROS) and apoptotic proteins p53, Bcl-2 and Bax were compared by using ROS kit and Western blot. Lewis lung cancer model was used to observe the anti-tumor effect of drugs in vivo. The results showed that the anti-tumor effect of their ethanol extract was more significant than that of water extract, and the anti-proliferation effect was strongest when the ratio was 1∶1(P<0.05). Compusyn analysis showed that the combination of the two drugs had synergistic effect. Further studies showed that after combined use, the number of clonogen formation in A549 cells was significantly reduced(P<0.01); ROS production was increased; the expression of apoptosis-related protein p53 was up-regulated, and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased. In vivo animal study showed that the tumor inhibition rate was 53.06%(P<0.05) in the high dose group. As compared with the single use of the two drugs, the combination of the two drugs had more significant anti-proliferative effect on tumors, and the optimum ratio was 1∶1. The combination of the two drugs at a ratio of 1∶1 inhibited the proliferation of various tumor cells, and had no significant effect on normal liver cells LO2 when compared with other ratios. Therefore, it can be preliminarily inferred that the combination of the two drugs may have the effect of synergism and detoxification. Further studies showed that the combination of the two drugs can significantly inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of endogenous apoptotic pathway. In vivo experiments also showed that the tumor inhibition rate increased with the increase of drug concentration.

Analysis on acupoint selection rules for reflux esophagitis / 中国针灸

The data mining technology was used to explore the acupoint selection rules for reflux esophagitis (RE), so as to provide references of clinical acupuncture for RE. The clinical literature of acupuncture for RE published before June 2019 was searched in Chinese journal full-text database (CNKI), SinoMed, Wanfang and VIP databases. The literature was selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and acupoint prescriptions were extracted. The software of IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 and Clementine 12.0 were used for descriptive analysis and association analysis. A total of 46 articles were selected and 60 acupoint prescriptions were extracted. The descriptive analysis indicated that the top five acupoints used for RE were Zhongwan (CV 12), Zusanli (ST 36), Weishu (BL 21), Neiguan (PC 6) and Gongsun (SP 4). The conception vessel, bladder meridian and stomach meridian were the most commonly selected meridians. In terms of specific acupoints, the crossing points, the front- points and five- points were mainly selected, and the acupoints were mainly distributed in limbs and chest-abdomen. The core acupoint combination for RE was "Zhongwan (CV 12) and Zusanli (ST 36)" and the core prescription was "Zhongwan (CV 12), Zusanli (ST 36), Weishu (BL 21) and Neiguan (PC 6)".

[Effect of HPMCAS/curcumin amorphous solid dispersion in enhancing dissolution and chemical stability of curcumin].

To enhance in vitro dissolution of Cur by preparing Cur solid dispersions. The ability of HPMCAS-HF,HPMCAS-MF,HPMCAS-LF and PVPK30 to maintain supersaturated solution was investigated by supersaturation test. Amorphous solid dispersions were prepared by the solvent-evaporation method. The prepared samples were characterized using infrared spectroscopy( IR) and differential scanning calorimetry( DSC),and in vitro dissolution was investigated. DSC and IR results showed that in 1 ∶3 and 1 ∶9 solid dispersions,Cur was amorphously dispersed in the carrier,and the interaction existed between drug and carrier. The supersaturation test showed that the order of the ability of polymer to inhibit crystallization of Cur was MF>HF>LF>K30. The dissolution results showed that Cur-K30 amorphous solid dispersion had the highest drug release rate; Cur-K30 and Cur-LF amorphous solid dispersions had a quicker but not stable dissolution rate,and the drug concentration decrease after 4 h; Cur-MF and Cur-HF solid dispersions had a low dissolution,which however increased steadily,attributing to the strong ability of the polymers to inhibit the crystallization of Cur. HPMCAS could inhibit the degradation of Cur better than K30,especially MF and HF. The amorphous solid dispersions of cur significantly enhanced the dissolution of Cur and improved the chemical stability of Cur. This study can provide a basis for the rational selection of the polymer used for Cur solid dispersion.

Sanjin tablets for acute uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection (syndrome of dampness-heat in the lower jiao): protocol for randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel control of positive drug, multicenter clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections. Patients usually present with dysuria, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and suprapubic pain or tenderness. Approximately 150 million people are diagnosed with UTI each year worldwide. The high recurrence rate of lower UTI is a common problem of clinical treatment. The misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of a number of resistant bacterial strains. Thus, traditional Chinese medicine is considered as an alternative option for treating acute uncomplicated lower UTI. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Sanjin tablets (SJT) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated lower UTI, explore whether SJT can reduce or substitute the use of antibiotics, and reduce the recurrence rate in the treatment of acute uncomplicated lower UTI. METHODS/DESIGN: In this study, a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel control of positive drug, multicenter clinical study will be established. A total of 252 patients with acute uncomplicated lower UTI (syndrome of dampness-heat in the lower jiao) will be randomly allocated in the ratio of 1:1:1 to three groups: experimental group; control group 1; and control group 2. The experimental group receives Sanjin tablets plus levofloxacin tablets (LT) placebo; the control group 1 receives LT plus SJT placebo; and the control group 2 receives SJT plus LT on the first five days, SJT plus LT placebo on the last two days. Each group will be treated for seven days and followed-up 1-2 times. The primary outcome measures of effective rate and recurrence rate are symptoms. Secondary outcome measures of effective rate and recurrence rate are the urine leukocytes, bacteriology examination, and safety assessment. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after treatment. DISCUSSION: This study protocol will provide the research data of efficacy and safety of SJT for the treatment of acute uncomplicated lower UTI. The first aim is to determine whether Sanjin tablets can reduce the use of antibiotics; the second aim is to determine whether Sanjin tablets can substitute the use of antibiotics. The recurrence rate will be assessed after cured to determine whether SJT can reduce the recurrence rate. The results of this study will improve the rational use of drugs, especially the rational application of antibiotics. It will also enable safety evaluation from laboratory indices and adverse events, which will provide reliable evidence for clinical treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03658291 . Registered on 4 September 2018.

The tea plant reference genome and improved gene annotation using long-read and paired-end sequencing data.

Tea is a globally consumed non-alcohol beverage with great economic importance. However, lack of the reference genome has largely hampered the utilization of precious tea plant genetic resources towards breeding. To address this issue, we previously generated a high-quality reference genome of tea plant using Illumina and PacBio sequencing technology, which produced a total of 2,124 Gb short and 125 Gb long read data, respectively. A hybrid strategy was employed to assemble the tea genome that has been publicly released. We here described the data framework used to generate, annotate and validate the genome assembly. Besides, we re-predicted the protein-coding genes and annotated their putative functions using more comprehensive omics datasets with improved training models. We reassessed the assembly and annotation quality using the latest version of BUSCO. These data can be utilized to develop new methodologies/tools for better assembly of complex genomes, aid in finding of novel genes, variations and evolutionary clues associated with tea quality, thus help to breed new varieties with high yield and better quality in the future.

Plasma acylcarnitines could predict prognosis and evaluate treatment of IgA nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Effective evaluation or prediction of therapy response could be helpful for treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which may rely on accurate biomarkers. Acylcarnitines are involved with lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function. The relation of acylcarnitines with treatment response in patients with CKD is unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of plasma acylcarnitines with renal function and its alteration by intervention in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 81 IgAN patients with treatment by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify the association of acylcarnitines with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and eGFR changes after treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-seven acylcarnitines were measured at baseline and after 1-year TCM intervention. Certain short-chain and median-chain acylcarnitines were independently associated with baseline eGFR and eGFR alterations after 1 year treatment. Particularly, patients with high C5:1(ß = - 0.42), C8:1(ß = - 0.49), C3DC(ß = - 0.5), C10:1(ß = - 0.36) and C5DC(ß = - 0.64)at baseline would have worse prognosis and treatment response. Moreover, certain acylcarnitines could be changed along with the eGFR alteration after 1-year TCM treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate a significant association between plasma acylcarnitines with prognosis and treatment responses in patients with IgAN, which suggest its role as a potential penal of biomarker for IgAN.

Professor 's academic thoughts and acupoint selection experience for hot flashes / 中国针灸

Professor is a well-known national veteran doctor with over 70 years of clinical experience. He has unique academic thoughts and clinical experience for common diseases and some difficult and complicated diseases. This paper mainly introduces professor 's syndrome-differentiation thought and experience of acupoint selection for hot flashes. It is emphasized that common hot flashes, such as hot flashes and night sweats, are different between and . While regulating and , more attention should be paid to - harmony, which is not only suitable for women's perimenopausal syndrome, but also for a series of clinical diseases caused by refractory drugs such as endocrine therapy after breast cancer surgery. At the same time of acupoint selection based on syndrome differentiation, a more rational prescriptions should be made according to the duration of the disease and the experience acupoints to improve the clinical efficacy.

Draft genome sequence of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis provides insights into the evolution of the tea genome and tea quality.

Tea, one of the world's most important beverage crops, provides numerous secondary metabolites that account for its rich taste and health benefits. Here we present a high-quality sequence of the genome of tea, Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS), using both Illumina and PacBio sequencing technologies. At least 64% of the 3.1-Gb genome assembly consists of repetitive sequences, and the rest yields 33,932 high-confidence predictions of encoded proteins. Divergence between two major lineages, CSS and Camellia sinensis var. assamica (CSA), is calculated to ∼0.38 to 1.54 million years ago (Mya). Analysis of genic collinearity reveals that the tea genome is the product of two rounds of whole-genome duplications (WGDs) that occurred ∼30 to 40 and ∼90 to 100 Mya. We provide evidence that these WGD events, and subsequent paralogous duplications, had major impacts on the copy numbers of secondary metabolite genes, particularly genes critical to producing three key quality compounds: catechins, theanine, and caffeine. Analyses of transcriptome and phytochemistry data show that amplification and transcriptional divergence of genes encoding a large acyltransferase family and leucoanthocyanidin reductases are associated with the characteristic young leaf accumulation of monomeric galloylated catechins in tea, while functional divergence of a single member of the glutamine synthetase gene family yielded theanine synthetase. This genome sequence will facilitate understanding of tea genome evolution and tea metabolite pathways, and will promote germplasm utilization for breeding improved tea varieties.

[Expression of saponin biosynthesis related genes in different tissues of Panax quinquefolius].

The relationship between saponin content of Panax quinquefolius in different parts of the organization and expression of ginsenoside biosynthesis related gene was obtained by the correlation analysis between saponin content and gene expression. The 14 tissue parts of P. quinquefolius were studied, six saponins in P. quinquefolius. Samples (ginsenoside Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd), group saponins and total saponins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and vanillin-sulfuric acid colorimetric method. Simultaneously, the expression levels of 7 ginsenoside biosynthesis related genes (SQS, OSC, DS, ß-AS, SQE, P450 and FPS) in different tissues of P. quinquefolius were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Although 7 kinds of ginsenoside biosynthesis related enzyme gene in the P. quinquefolius involved in ginsenoside synthesis, the expression of ß-AS and P450 genes had no significant effect on the content of monosodium saponins, grouping saponins and total saponins, FPS, SQS, OSC, DS and SQE had significant or extremely significant on the contents of single saponins Re, Rg1, Rb1, Rd, group saponin PPD and PPT, total saponin TMS and total saponin TS (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The biosynthesis of partial saponins, grouping saponins and total saponins in P. quinquefolius was affected by the interaction of multiple enzyme genes in the saponin synthesis pathway, the content of saponins in different tissues of P. quinquefolius was determined by the differences in the expression of key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway. Therefore, this study further clarified that FPS, SQS, OSC, DS and SQE was the key enzyme to control the synthesis of saponins in P. quinquefolius by correlation analysis, the biosynthesis of ginsenosides in P. quinquefolius was regulated by these five kind of enzymes in cluster co-expression of interaction mode.

Expression of saponin biosynthesis related genes in different tissues of / 中国中药杂志

The relationship between saponin content of in different parts of the organization and expression of ginsenoside biosynthesis related gene was obtained by the correlation analysis between saponin content and gene expression. The 14 tissue parts of were studied, six saponins in Samples (ginsenoside Rg₁, Re, Rb₁, Rc, Rb₂ and Rd), group saponins and total saponins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and vanillin-sulfuric acid colorimetric method. Simultaneously, the expression levels of 7 ginsenoside biosynthesis related genes ( and ) in different tissues of were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Although 7 kinds of ginsenoside biosynthesis related enzyme gene in the involved in ginsenoside synthesis, the expression of and P450 genes had no significant effect on the content of monosodium saponins, grouping saponins and total saponins, and had significant or extremely significant on the contents of single saponins Re, Rg1, Rb1, Rd, group saponin PPD and PPT, total saponin TMS and total saponin TS (<0.05 or <0.01). The biosynthesis of partial saponins, grouping saponins and total saponins in was affected by the interaction of multiple enzyme genes in the saponin synthesis pathway, the content of saponins in different tissues of was determined by the differences in the expression of key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway. Therefore, this study further clarified that and was the key enzyme to control the synthesis of saponins in by correlation analysis, the biosynthesis of ginsenosides in was regulated by these five kind of enzymes in cluster co-expression of interaction mode.

Prevalence, awareness, and treatment of anemia in Chinese patients with nondialysis chronic kidney disease: First multicenter, cross-sectional study.

This was the first multicenter, cross-sectional survey to assess the prevalence of anemia, patient awareness, and treatment status in China. Data of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD; age, 18-75 years; both out- and inpatients) from 25 hospitals in Shanghai, seeking medical treatment at the nephrology department, were collected between July 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012. The prevalence, awareness, and treatment of anemia in patients with nondialysis CKD (ND-CKD) were assessed. Anemia was defined as serum hemoglobin (Hb) levels ≤12 g/dL in women and ≤13 g/dL in men. A total of 2420 patients with ND-CKD were included. Anemia was established in 1246 (51.5%) patients: 639 (51.3%) men and 607 (48.7%) women. The prevalence of anemia increased with advancing CKD stage (χtrend = 675.14, P < 0.001). Anemia was more prevalent in patients with diabetic nephropathy (68.0%) than in patients with hypertensive renal damage (56.6%) or chronic glomerulonephritis (46.1%, both P < 0.001). Only 39.8% of the anemic patients received treatment with erythropoietin and 27.1% patients received iron products; furthermore, 22.7% of the patients started receiving treatment when their Hb level reached 7 g/dL. The target-achieving rate (Hb at 11-12 g/dL) was only 8.2%. Of the 1246 anemia patients, only 7.5% received more effective and recommended intravenous supplementation. Anemia is highly prevalent in patients with ND-CKD in China, with a low target-achieving rate and poor treatment patterns. The study highlights the need to improve multiple aspects of CKD management to delay the progression of renal failure.

Personalized evaluation based on quantitative proteomics for drug-treated patients with chronic kidney disease.

The patient's response to drug treatment is usually systems-wide based on multi-spots through either direct or indirect targets. Thus, the evaluation of the treatment cannot rely on single targeted biomarker, especially for complex diseases such as chronic kidney disease. In the present study, we performed a systems-wide analysis using proteomic approach to quantify changes in the proteomic profiles of the plasma from IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients before and after treatment. In particular, the patient-to-health distances based on global proteome quantification before and after treatment were calculated and considered as quantitative readouts to measure patient divergences from the healthy condition. We found that the patient-to-health distance nicely correlated with the patient's response to drug treatment and long-term prognosis, which created a self-tracking platform for personalized evaluation. In addition, the steroid treatment plays a role in immunosuppression, while the Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) can modulate whole-body systems. Our results indicated that STC therapy normalized the proteomic profile more significantly than SA therapy. This work provides an omics-based and systematic platform for personalized evaluation of disease treatment. This strategy could help us to evaluate treatment outcomes and predict prognosis in patients with IgAN and other complex diseases.

Efficacy and safety of Shenyankangfu tablets for primary glomerulonephritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease is a common disease. Most chronic kidney diseases evolve from primary glomerulonephritis. Proteinuria is an independent risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney disease. The general consensus is that therapy administered to decrease proteinuria should include steroids and/or immunosuppressants, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor blockers. However, the side effects of, and adverse reactions to, these agents reduce the benefits to patients. In addition, the cost of these drugs is relatively high. Therefore, identification of inexpensive and effective drugs to decrease proteinuria is urgently needed. Shenyankangfu tablets have been a widely applied Chinese patent medicine for many years to decrease proteinuria. However, there is a lack of research-derived data regarding the clinical use. Therefore, we designed the present randomized controlled clinical trial to compare the efficacy and safety of Shenyankangfu tablets versus losartan potassium for control of proteinuria in patients with primary glomerulonephritis. METHODS/DESIGN: This study will be a multicenter, prospective, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized controlled clinical trial. We will enroll 720 patients diagnosed with primary glomerulonephritis. The eligible patients will be randomly divided into the following groups at a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio: Shenyankangfu tablets group, losartan potassium 50 mg group, losartan potassium 100 mg group, Shenyankangfu tablets + losartan potassium 50 mg group, and Shenyankangfu tablets + losartan potassium 100 mg group. All groups will be followed up for 48 weeks; follow-up visits will be performed, at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48. The primary efficacy outcome will be the post-treatment change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, and the secondary efficacy outcomes will be the post-treatment changes in the serum creatinine level, estimated glomerular filtration rate, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score, and serum albumin level. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will provide solid data for use in evidence-based medicine with respect to the efficacy and safety of Shenyankangfu tablets for control of proteinuria in patients with primary glomerulonephritis compared to those of losartan potassium. Moreover, we infer that therapy comprising Shenyankangfu tablets + losartan potassium can decrease proteinuria to a larger extent than Shenyankangfu tablets or losartan potassium can alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered on 12 February 2014 at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID number NCT02063100).

TMDB: a literature-curated database for small molecular compounds found from tea.

BACKGROUND: Tea is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. The healthy effects of tea are attributed to a wealthy of different chemical components from tea. Thousands of studies on the chemical constituents of tea had been reported. However, data from these individual reports have not been collected into a single database. The lack of a curated database of related information limits research in this field, and thus a cohesive database system should necessarily be constructed for data deposit and further application. DESCRIPTION: The Tea Metabolome database (TMDB), a manually curated and web-accessible database, was developed to provide detailed, searchable descriptions of small molecular compounds found in Camellia spp. esp. in the plant Camellia sinensis and compounds in its manufactured products (different kinds of tea infusion). TMDB is currently the most complete and comprehensive curated collection of tea compounds data in the world. It contains records for more than 1393 constituents found in tea with information gathered from 364 published books, journal articles, and electronic databases. It also contains experimental 1H NMR and 13C NMR data collected from the purified reference compounds or collected from other database resources such as HMDB. TMDB interface allows users to retrieve tea compounds entries by keyword search using compound name, formula, occurrence, and CAS register number. Each entry in the TMDB contains an average of 24 separate data fields including its original plant species, compound structure, formula, molecular weight, name, CAS registry number, compound types, compound uses including healthy benefits, reference literatures, NMR, MS data, and the corresponding ID from databases such as HMDB and Pubmed. Users can also contribute novel regulatory entries by using a web-based submission page. The TMDB database is freely accessible from the URL of http://pcsb.ahau.edu.cn:8080/TCDB/index.jsp. The TMDB is designed to address the broad needs of tea biochemists, natural products chemists, nutritionists, and members of tea related research community. CONCLUSION: The TMDB database provides a solid platform for collection, standardization, and searching of compounds information found in tea. As such this database will be a comprehensive repository for tea biochemistry and tea health research community.

Identification of catechol as a new marker for detecting propolis adulteration.

Adulteration of propolis with poplar extract is a serious issue in the bee products market. The aim of this study was to identify marker compounds in adulterated propolis, and examine the transformation of chemical components from poplar buds to propolis. The chemical profiles of poplar extracts and propolis were compared, and a new marker compound, catechol, was isolated and identified from the extracts of poplar buds. The polyphenol oxidase, catechol oxidase, responsible for catalyzing oxidation of catechol was detected in poplar buds and propolis. The results indicate catechol can be used as a marker to detect propolis adulterated with poplar extract.

[Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on the scar formation at the rabbit ears at an early stage].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of hyperbaric oxygen on the scar formation at the rabbit ears at an early stage. METHODS: 16 New Zealand rabbits were used to establish the hypertrophic scar model on the ears, 4 wounds on each ear. The rabbits were randomly divided into hyperbaric group(n = 8) and control group (n = 8). The rabbits in the hyperbaric group received hyperbaric oxygen treatment, inhaling oxygen for 1 hour daily under 2ATA circumstance until the wounds were healed. The wound healing and the scar size, thickness, color and hardness in the ears were recorded. After healing, the scar was taken for histologic study with HE staining, Masson staining and trinitrophenol sirius red staining. RESULTS: In hyperbaric oxygen group, the healing time of 64 wounds was (16.7 +/- 1.8) d, while it was (20.2 +/- 2.3) d in the control group, suggesting a significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of hyperplastic scar was lower (38/64, 59. 4% ) in hyperbaric oxygen group than that (52/ 64, 81.2%) in control group with significant difference between them (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the hyperbaric oxygen group had thicker corium layer and less fibroblasts, well-arranged but rare collagen and less collagen nodus and vortex-like structure under microscope. The hyperplastic index of scar was 3.48 +/- 0.94 in hyperbaric oxygen group and 4.65 +/- 0.76 in control group respectively (P < 0.01). The density of fibroblast in two groups were 186.5 +/- 27.3 (hyperbaric oxygen group) and 246 +/- 41.6 (control group) with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the area density of collagen fiber were (31.42 +/- 5.36)% in hyperbaric group and (43.62 +/- 7.36)% in control group (P < 0.05). The amount of collagen I and III was (71.42 +/- 5.36)% and (28.58 +/- 5.36)% in hyperbaric oxygen group, (62.46 +/- 7.32)% and (37.54 +/- 7.32)% in control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of collagen I to III was 2.499 in hyperbaric oxygen group, which was similar to the ratio (4:1) in normal skin, compared with the control group (1.664). CONCLUSIONS: The hyperbaric oxygen can promote wound healing and effectively inhibit the early hyperplastic scar in rabbits ears.