[Mechanism of Wuling Capsules against hepatic fibrosis based on network pharmacology and animal experiments].

The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of Wuling Capsules in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis(HF) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments. Firstly, the chemical components and targets of Wuling Capsules against HF were searched from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), Traditional Chinese Medicines Integrated Database(TCMID), GeneCards, and literature retrieval. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network analysis was carried out on the common targets by STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.1 software, and the core targets were screened, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Enrichment analysis was conducted on the core targets and the "drug-core component-target-pathway-disease" network was further constructed. Subsequently, molecular docking between core components and core targets was conducted using AutoDock Vina software to predict the underlying mechanism of action against HF. Finally, an HF model induced by CCl_4 was constructed in rats, and the general signs and liver tissue morphology were observed. HE and Masson staining were used to analyze the liver tissue sections. The effects of Wuling Capsules on the levels of inflammatory factors, hydroxyproline(HYP) levels, and core targets were analyzed by ELISA, RT-PCR, etc. A total of 445 chemical components of Wuling Capsules were screened, corresponding to 3 882 potential targets, intersecting with 1 240 targets of HF, and 47 core targets such as TNF, IL6, INS, and PIK3CA were screened. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the core targets mainly affected the process of cell stimulation response and metabolic regulation, involving cancer, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and other signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that the core components of Wuling Capsules, such as lucidenic acid K, ganoderic acid B, lucidenic acid N, saikosaponin Q2, and neocryptotanshinone, had high affinities with the core targets, such as TNF, IL6 and PIK3CA. Animal experiments showed that Wuling Capsules could reduce fat vacuole, inflammatory infiltration, and collagen deposition in rat liver, decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and HYP, and downregulated the expressions of PI3K and Akt mRNA. This study suggests that the anti-HF effect of Wuling Capsules may be achieved by regulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, reducing the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 inflammatory factors, and inhibiting the excessive deposition of collagen.

[Comparison of therapeutic efficacy of Wuling Capsules prepared with different methods for rats with syndrome of liver Qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and blood stasis].

Wuling Capsules is one of the commonly used drugs for the clinical treatment of chronic hepatitis B with the syndrome of liver Qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and blood stasis. However, the present preparation method of Wuling Capsules ignores some macromolecules like polysaccharides. In this study, the influences of different ethanol concentrations in the preparation process on the extraction rates of macro-and micro-molecules were investigated. Further, the therapeutic efficacy of Wuling Capsules was evaluated with the reserpine-induced rat model of liver Qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and blood stasis. When 50% ethanol was used for the last time of extraction, the concentrations of polysaccharides, salvianolic acid B, and schisandrin in the extract, as well as the dry extract yield, increased significantly compared with those of the original preparation method. However, the fingerprints of micro-molecules showed little difference between the two methods, with a similarity of 0.862. The study then set the 50% ethanol extraction as the new preparation method. The pharmacodynamics evaluation showed that the Wuling Capsules prepared with the original and new methods both significantly alleviated the emotional depression and metabolic disturbance in model rats, demonstrating good performance in protecting the rats against gastric mucosal injuries, modulating intestinal function, and activating blood circulation. The mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of gastrointestinal hormone secretion, reduction of inflammation, and promotion of dopamine synthesis in cortex and hippocampus. At the same dose, the Wuling Capsules prepared with the original and new methods showed roughly the same overall therapeutic efficacy. However, the Wuling Capsules prepared with the new method had stronger effect in activating blood circulation and modulating inflammation, but weaker effects in regulating gastrin and dopamine. The present study provides basis data for optimizing the preparation process of Wuling Capsules and deciphering the mechanism of its therapeutic effect on liver Qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and blood stasis.

[Effects of embryonic lead exposure on food intake and bowel movement in offspring rats and possible mechanisms].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of embryonic lead exposure on food intake and bowel movement in offspring rats and possible mechanisms. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were given 0.1% (low-dose lead exposure group) or 0.2% (high-dose lead exposure group) lead acetate freely during pregnancy to establish an animal model of embryonic lead exposure. A blank control group was also established. The male offspring rats were enrolled in the study, and 10 male offspring rats from each group were selected to observe the changes in food intake, bowel movement, gastric emptying, intestine propulsion, and pathological inflammatory response in the gastric mucosa. Eight offspring rats were selected from each group, and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the changes in the ultrastructure of jejunal microvilli and cell junction and the expression of cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) and motilin (MTL) in the feeding center, in order to reveal the possible mechanisms for abnormal gastrointestinal motility in offspring rats induced by embryonic lead exposure. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the low- and high-dose lead exposure groups had a significant reduction in daily food intake, a significant increase in water content of feces, a significant reduction in fecal pellet weight, and a significant increase in small intestine propulsion (P<0.05). The high-dose lead exposure group had a significant reduction in gastric emptying ability compared with the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the lead exposure groups had significantly greater pathological inflammatory changes in the gastric mucosa (P<0.05), significant reductions in the number and length of the jejunal microvilli and the number of epithelial desmosome junctions (P<0.05), a significant increase in the macula densa gap (P<0.05), and significant increases in the expression of MTL and CCK-8 in the feeding center (P<0.05), in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of gastrointestinal structural injury and expression levels of MTL and CCK-8 in the feeding center are lead dose-dependent, which may be important mechanisms for changes in food intake, bowel movement, and digestive functions in offspring rats induced by embryonic lead exposure.

Folate-decorated anticancer drug and magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated polymeric carrier for liver cancer therapeutics.

Nanoparticulate system with theranostic applications has attracted significant attention in cancer therapeutics. In the present study, we have developed a novel composite PLGA NP co-encapsulated with anticancer drug (sorafenib) and magnetic NP (SPION). We have successfully developed nanosized folate-conjugated PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles (SRF/FA-PEG-PLGA NP) with both anticancer and magnetic resonance property. We have showed that FA-conjugated NP exhibits sustained drug release and enhanced cellular uptake in BEL7402 cancer cells. The targeted NP effectively suppressed the tumor cell proliferation and has improved the anticancer efficacy than that of free drug or non-targeted one. Additionally, enhanced MRI properties demonstrate this formulation has good imaging agent characteristics. Finally, SRF/FA-PEG-PLGA NP effectively inhibited the colony forming ability indicating its superior anticancer effect. Together, these multifunctional nanoparticles would be most ideal to improve the therapeutic response in cancer and holds great potential to be a part of future nanomedicine. Our unique approach could be extended for multiple biomedical applications.

Improved anti-tumor activity and safety profile of a paclitaxel-loaded glycyrrhetinic acid-graft-hyaluronic acid conjugate as a synergistically targeted drug delivery system.

The present study was designed to develop and evaluate glycyrrhetinic acid-graft-hyaluronic acid (HGA) conjugate for intravenous paclitaxel (PTX) delivery. Lyophilized PTX-loaded self-assembled HGA nanoparticles (PTX/HGAs) were prepared and characterized by dynamic light scattering measurements. Hemolysis test, intravenous irritation assessment, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacodynamic studies were carried out. B16F10 and HepG2 cells were used in the cell apoptosis analysis. The mouse MDA-MB-231 xenograft model was used for the evaluation of in vivo anticancer activity of the drugs, by the analysis of tumor growth and side effects on other tissues. PTX/HGAs showed high stability and good biocompability. Compared with PTX plus GA plus HA solution, PTX/HGAs displayed obvious superiority in inducing the apoptosis of the cancer cells. Following systemic administration, PTX/HGAs efficiently suppressed tumor growth, with mean tumor inhibition ratio (TIR) being 65.08%, which was significantly higher than that of PTX plus GA plus HA treatment. In conclusion, PTX/HGAs demonstrated inhibitory effects tumor growth without unwanted side effects, suggesting that HGA conjugates hold a great potential as a delivery carrier for cancer chemotherapeutics to improve therapeutic efficacy and minimize adverse effects.

[Quality assessment and classification of persicae semen based on HPLC-UV fingerprint].

Persicae Semen (PS), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used for the syndrome of blood stasis in China since the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the present study, we developed an HPLC-UV fingerprint analysis method for the quality control of PS. The HPLC fingerprint was performed on Shimadzu Inertsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) at 35 degrees C. The mobile phases were composed of acetonitrile and water using a gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), and the detection wavelength was set at 210 nm. The fingerprint method was validated according to the Guidelines for Traditional Chinese Medicine Injection Fingerprint, and applied to determine 41 batches representative herbs collected from Xinjiang of China. The chromatographic peaks were characterized by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and nine of them were identified by comparison with the literature and/or reference standards. In order to classify and assess the samples, hierarchical clustering analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis were performed based on the common chromatographic peaks, and the samples were geographically classified into two classes, with six chemical compounds as classification markers which were significantly different between the two classes (P < 0.05).

[Study on intestinal absorption kinetics of apigenin in rats].

To establish an in situ single-way intestinal perfusion model, in order to study the intestinal absorption kinetics of AP. The concentration of AP in the perfusate was determined by HLPC. The results showed different AP concentrations in all intestinal segments, with the fastest absorption rate in duodenum, which was followed by jejunum, ileum and colon. In general, the constant absorption rate (Ka) of AP in duodenum and jejunum first increased and then decreased with the rise in drug concentration (P <0. 05); the absorption mechanism may be related to active transport and facilitated diffusion factors. The constant absorption rate (Ka) of AP in ileum and colon generally kept unchanged with the rise diffusion in drug concentration, the absorption mechanism may be related to passive.

[Clinicopathological significance of the expression of calreticulin in human pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathological significance of the expression of calreticulin (CRT) protein and mRNA in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: The expression of CRT protein in 33 paired paraffin embedded PDAC specimens and adjacent non-cancerous pancreatic tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to examine the expression of CRT protein and mRNA in 12 paired fresh PDAC specimens and adjuvant non-cancerous pancreatic tissues. The relationship between the protein expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. RESULTS: CRT expression was much higher in 33 PDAC tissues than that in paired adjacent non-cancerous pancreatic samples (t = 2.323, P = 0.027). CRT was over expressed in 16 PDAC tissues, but only in 8 adjuvant non-cancerous pancreatic tissues (48.5% vs. 24.2%). The expression of CRT protein had no correlation with tumor position (χ(2) = 1.588, P = 0.208), differentiation (χ(2) = 1.517, P = 0.218), TNM stage (χ(2) = 2.528, P = 0.112) and lymph node metastasis (χ(2) = 1.963, P = 0.161), but had statistic significancy with the prognosis of the patients (χ(2) = 4.080, P = 0.043). The median survival time in the patients with high expression of CRT protein was longer than that in the patients with low expression. The expression of CRT mRNA was higher in PDAC than that in non-cancerous tissues detected by RT-PCR (t = 2.539, P = 0.025), but no significant difference was found in protein level (t = 1.292, P = 0.223). CONCLUSIONS: CRT is up-regulated in PDAC and may be a prognosis factor for patients with PDAC.

Studies on lactoferrin nanoparticles of gambogic acid for oral delivery.

PURPOSE: Lactoferrin (Lf), a mammalian cationic iron-binding glycoprotein belonging to the transferrin (Tf) family, has been widely used in a variety of fields ranging from treating infant diarrhea and supporting newborn growth to food and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, Lf nanoparticles were firstly used as carriers of gambogic acid (GA) to enhance oral absorption and anti-cancer activity, hence reducing the related toxic effect. METHODS: Gambogic acid-lactoferrin nanoparticles (GL-NPs) were prepared by the nanoparticle albumin-bound (NAB) technology. The formed nanoparticles were characterized by DSC, TEM, etc. In situ intestinal perfusion experiment was performed to clarify the absorption mechanism of GL-NPs. Furthermore in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor activities of GL-NPs were also investigated. RESULTS: GL-NPs was successfully prepared with about 150 nm mean size, +20 mV ζ potential, 92.3 ± 7.2% encapsulation efficiency and 9.04 ± 0.7% DL; GL-NPs also exhibited a better stability and a desirable slow release in vitro experiment. The results of in situ intestinal perfusion showed a transformation of GA absorption from passive diffusion into active transport or facilitated diffusion by GL-NPs. MTT assay of GL-NPs showed almost an equal anti-proliferative effect with arginine solution of GA (Arg-GA) in HepG2 cell. The inhibitory rate against S180 tumor mice after oral administration of GL-NPs was up to 86.01% which was 1.39-folds of intravenous injection of Arg-GA. CONCLUSION: The in vitro results showed that the NAB technology was feasible for industrial production of Lf nanoparticles and the in vivo results proved that the effective GL-NPs is a promising approach for the oral delivery of GA. These obtained research works have also paved the preliminary way for the study of Lf as an oral drug delivery carrier.

Pharmacophore modeling and hybrid virtual screening for the discovery of novel IκB kinase 2 (IKK2) inhibitors.

IKK2 (IκB kinase 2) inhibitors have been identified as potential drug candidates in the treatment of various immune/inflammatory disorders as well as cancer. So far more than one hundred small molecule inhibitors against IKK2 have been reported publicly. In this investigation, pharmacophore modeling was carried out to clarify the essential structure-activity relationship for the known IKK2 inhibitors. One of the established pharmacophore hypotheses, namely Hypo8, which has the best prediction ability to an external test data set, was suggested as a template for virtual screening. Evaluation of the performances of Hypo8 and a hybrid method (Hypo81docking) in virtual screening indicated that the use of the hybrid virtual screening considerably increased the hit rate and enrichment factor. The hybrid method was therefore adopted for screening several commercially available chemical databases, including Specs, NCI, Maybridge and Chinese Nature Product Database (CNPD), for novel potent IKK2 inhibitors. The hit compounds were subsequently subjected to filtering by Lipinski's rule of five. Finally some of the final hit compounds were selected and suggested for further experimental investigations.

[Preparation of self-assemble nobiletin proliposomes and its pharmacokinetics in rats].

To prepare self-assemble nobiletin proliposomes and study its pharmacokinetic behavior in rats after ig administration, and nobiletin suspension was used as control, self-assemble nobiletin proliposomes were prepared by a new proliposome preparation method, their physicochemical properties including encapsulation efficiency, particle size and stability of formed liposome were determined. Plasma concentration of nobiletin was determined by HPLC taking nimodipine as internal standard. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Kinetica 4.4 software. The encapsulation efficiency of nobiletin liposomes was more than 80%, with an average particle size of 212.1 nm and very good stability. Compared to nobiletin suspension, nobiletin liposomes possessed higher absorptive rate and longer MRT, and the relative bioavailability was 264.3% in rats. It could be concluded that self-assemble nobiletin proliposome was a simple and feasible preparation, and showed greater absorption compared with nobiletin suspension.

[Study on spaceflight mutagenesis Platycodon grandiflorum via FTIR].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for analyzing amorphous organic compound components of space Platycodon grandflorum rapidly. METHOD: FTIR was applied for measuring and comparing P. grandflorum of comparison group,the ground group and the 4" generation of space group. RESULT: Several active components (platycodin, polysaccharide etc.) contents of space group are increased obviously. CONCLUSION: The major components and the structures remained inextenso,and the effictive component contents are enhanced in the space P. grandiflorum. FTIR is a fast method to analyze the changes of amorphous organic compound components of the space traditional Chinese medicines.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine fuzhisan on aged rats.

Fuzhisan (FZS), a Chinese herbal complex prescription, has been used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) for more than 15 years. Previous studies showed that FZS enhanced the cognitive ability in AD patients and AD model rats. FZS modulated the impaired cellular functions, and attenuated the damage caused by beta-amyloid protein, dose-dependently regulated and ameliorated the cholinergic functions of the Abeta(25-35)-induced AD-model mice. The SPECT imaging revealed that FZS improved the blood flow of the frontal and temporal lobes and the callosal gyrus in AD patients. However, little investigation of the effects of FZS on the naturally aged rats was reported. The underlying mechanism also remains to be explored. Recently we investigated the effects of the aqueous extract of FZS on the cognitive functions of the aged rats and the pharmacological basis for its therapeutic efficacy. The results showed a significant improvement made by FZS (0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 g/kg/d) for impaired cognitive functions of the aged rats. The rats manifested a shortened latency in Morris water maze test after intra-gavage administration (ig) of FZS for 30 consecutive days. The micro-positron emission tomography (microPET) using (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) as the tracer demonstrated that FZS promoted the glucose metabolism in the whole brains especially the temporal and parietal regions in the aged rats. The spectrophotometry and Western blot showed that FZS obviously increased the activity and the production of choline O-acetyltransferase (ChAT, EC 2.3.1.6) and the acetylcholine (ACh) contents in the hippocampus, thus regulated and ameliorated the impaired cholinergic functions of the aged rats. The therapeutical effects of FZS on the learning and memory of the aged rats were dose-dependent. The mechanism of action of FZS in ameliorating the memory dysfunction of the aged rats is ascribed to the reinforcement of the function of the cholinergic system and the enhancement of the glucose metabolism in the brains. The results of this study, together with a survey of the findings in the clinical treatment with FZS suggest that FZS may not merely alleviate the symptoms of the dementia, but may also augment the production of the neurotransmitter ACh and the energy supply in the brain to build up fitness of the patients. FZS may be beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease or cognitive impairment in old people.

Transducible P11-CNTF rescues the learning and memory impairments induced by amyloid-beta peptide in mice.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder with the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities. Amyloid species and neurofibrillary tangles are the prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells. Abnormal accumulation of Amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) may cause synaptic dysfunction and degeneration of neurons. Drugs that can prevent its formation and accumulation or stimulate its clearance might ultimately be of therapeutic benefit. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a neurotrophic cytokine, promotes the survival of various neurons in brain. However, the blood-brain barrier hinders the systemic delivery of CNTF to brain. Recently the 11-amino acid of protein transduction domain TAT has successfully assisted the delivery of many macromolecules to treat preclinical models of human disease. The present study aimed to evaluate whether P11-CNTF fusion protein (P11-CNTF) is protective against the Abeta25-35-induced dementia in mice. Immunofluorescence experiments showed that P11 effectively carried CNTF to the SH-SY5Y cells in vitro, and to the brains of mice in vivo. The learning and memory impairments of mice induced by Abeta were substantially rescued by supplement with the P11-CNTF. Furthermore, mRNAs of enzymes involved in the Abeta metabolism, e.g. neprilysin (NEP), endothelin-converting enzyme 1 (ECE-1) and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), increased in the P11-CNTF treated dementia mice, accompanied by the proliferation of nestin- and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive cells in hippocampus. It implies that the delivery of P11-CNTF may be a novel treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Distribution of nobiletin chitosan-based microemulsions in brain following i.v. injection in mice.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the in vitro properties of a number of chitosan-based microemulsions containing nobiletin and determine its distribution in mice brain following i.v. administration. The phase behavior and properties of chitosan-based microemulsions were investigated in a pseudo-ternary system composed of polyoxyethylene 35 castor oil/benzyl alcohol/medium-chain triglyceride/tea oil/water with the chitosan. The droplet sizes were found to be smaller than 25 nm by photo correlation spectrometer. The nobiletin-loaded hyaluronic acid chitosan-based microemulsion (HAC-ME) carried negative charge and nobiletin-loaded hydrochlorate chitosan-based microemulsion (HCC-ME) carried positive charge. The concentrations of nobiletin in tissues were determined by HPLC after i.v. administration of HAC-ME, nobiletin-loaded microemulsion (ME), HCC-ME and nobiletin solution. Based on AUC(0-t), MRT and C(max), HAC-ME delivered more nobiletin to the brain compared to nobiletin solution, ME and HCC-ME. The long-circulation effect might contribute to the higher AUC(0-t) for HAC-ME in brain. On the other hand, the AUC(0-t) in plasma and brain after i.v. administration of HCC-ME were not significantly increased relative to ME. These results indicate that HAC-ME may be presented as potential candidates for delivering more drugs into the brain.