[Analysis of characteristics and problems of international trade of wolfberry in China].

Wolfberry has important unique medical values as well as edible and commerce values. In this paper,we analyze the characteristics and problems of international trade of wolfberry based on the customs data between 2008 and 2017. During periods of these ten years,the wolfberry was mainly exported with a small proportions of imports. The total export volume increased steadily,reached 82 182. 08 tons and 696. 622 million dollars respectively. Wolfberry came from 31 provinces/autonomous regions and exported to 105 countries and regions through 21 ports. Most of the total exports of wolfberry flew to markets of Asia and Europe,the Ningxia autonomous region was the major export province. Large amount of wolfberry exported through Tianjin port. Compared with the export volume,the import is almost negligible,mainly coming from North Korea,almost all through Changchun port,Jilin province to enter the domestic market. There is a situation of"import of domestic goods". To enhance the international competitiveness of wolf berry industry,we must rely on the fundamental research of wolfberry,speed up the standardization process,strengthen the scientific and technological innovation in wolfberry products,improve the added value and profit of wolfberry.

Shikonin sensitizes A549 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through the JNK, STAT3 and AKT pathways.

BACKGROUND: TRAIL, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, can selectively kill cancer cells with little or no cytotoxicity toward normal human cells and is regarded as a potential relatively safe antitumor drug. However, some cancer cells are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Thus, reagents that potentiate TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity are needed. Herein, we investigated whether shikonin, a natural compound from the root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, can sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity. RESULTS: The viability of A549 cells, which were resistant to TRAIL, was significantly decreased after treatment with TRAIL followed by shikonin. The underlying mechanisms by which shikonin sensitizes cells to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity were also examined. Combined treatment with shikonin and TRAIL activated the caspase and JNK pathways, inhibited the STAT3 and AKT pathways, downregulated the expression of Mcl-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, c-FLIP and XIAP and upregulated the expression of Bid. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the results indicated that shikonin sensitized resistant cancer cells to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity via the modulation of the JNK, STAT3 and AKT pathways, the downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins and the upregulation of proapoptotic proteins.

[Progress of gene editing technologies and prospect in traditional Chinese medicine].

Gene editing is a kind of technologies that makes precise modification to the genome. It can be used to knock out/in and replace the specific DNA fragment, and make accurate gene editing on the genome level. The essence of the technique is the DNA sequence change with use of non homologous end link repair and homologous recombination repair, combined with specific DNA target recognition and endonuclease.This technology has wide range of development prospects and high application value in terms of scientific research, agriculture, medical treatment and other fields. In the field of gene therapy, gene editing technology has achieved cross-time success in cancers such as leukemia, genetic disorders such as hemophilia, thalassemia, multiple muscle nutritional disorders and retrovirus associated infectious diseases such as AIDS and other diseases. The preparation work for new experimental methods and animal models combined with gene editing technology is under rapid development and improvement. Laboratories around the world have also applied gene editing technique in prevention of malaria, organ transplantation, biological pharmaceuticals, agricultural breeding improvement, resurrection of extinct species, and other research areas. This paper summarizes the application and development status of gene editing technique in the above fields, and also preliminarily explores the potential application prospect of the technology in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, and discusses the present controversy and thoughts.

[Effects of combination of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin on LPS-induced cytokines expression in macrophage].

To study the anti-inflammatory activity of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin. In the study, the liquichip-based high-throughput synchronous detection technique for 23 inflammatory factors, uniform design, comprehensive weight method were adopted to study the effect of different combined administration of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin in inhibiting the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264. 7 cells and multiple inflammatory cytokines. In the study, the uniform design table U9 (9³) was adopted to design doses of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin. The liquichip technique was used to detect the effect of different combined administration of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin on the 23 cytokines expressed in LPS-induced mouse macrophage RAW264. 7 inflammation model. The traditional Chinese medicine component optimization software and the improved least angle regression algorithm were used to analyze the dose-effect relationship among the three components and the cytokine inhibition rate and produce the regression equation. The comprehensive weight method was applied to get the optimal dose ratio of glycyrrhizic acid, ligustrazine and puerarin with highest efficacy of 25:2:13 and verify the optimal dose ratio. The verification results were consistent with the prediction trend, indicating the accuracy of the mathematical model for predicting the experiment. The experimental results showed the multi-target and multi-level efficacies of glycyrrhizic acid, ligustrazine and puerarin and the high anti-inflammatory activity of their combined administration, which provides powerful basis for subsequent drug development.

[Effects of glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids on LPS-induced cytokines expression in macrophage].

Glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids are the component of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch root that has been used for various medicinal purposes in traditional oriental medicine for thousands of years. Macrophages as a principal component of immune system play an important role in the initiation, modulation and final activation of immune response against pathogens. In the present study, glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids was investigated the anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage cell line of RAW264.7. Well-grown RAW264.7 cells were collected and randomly divided into the blank control group, the LPS(1 mg x L(-1)) group, the dexamethasone (5 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group, the glycyrrhizin acid (400, 80, 16 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group and the licorice flavonoids (200, 40, 8 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group. RAW264.7 cells were cultured in 24-well plates, pre-incubated for 4 h with different concentrations of dexamethasone, glycyrrhizin acid, or licorice flavonoids. Then cells were stimulated for 20 h with LPS. The supernatant of culture medium was collected from each well and determinated the concentrations of cytokines by means of BioPlex mouse cytokines assay. Compared with the control group, the LPS group could significantly induced relatively high levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor( GM-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1ß), regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted factor (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (KC), eotaxin, interleukin(IL)-1α, IL-1ß, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, and IL-17 secretion (P < 0.05). The glycyrrhizin acid significantly inhibited IL-1ß, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, Eotaxin and TNF-α secreted by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). The expression levels of IL-6 and Eotaxin were observably decreased in the licorice flavonoids with LPS group (P < 0.05). The data presented here suggested that the glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids modulate various cytokines secreted by macrophages and were important anti-inflammatory constituent of Licorice.

[Effects of jin chai antiviral capsule on IFITM3 expression in mice].

This study is to investigate the treatment of Jin Chai antiviral capsule for influenza virus FM1/47 (H1N1) infection. The model of pneumonia was established by dropping influenza virus into the nose of normal mice, real-time PCR and Western blot technique were used to detect the virus load and the interferoninducible transmembrane protein3 (IFITM3) in lung of mice at the 1st day, 3rd day, 5th day and 7th day after affected. The results showed that Jin Chai antiviral capsule in large, middle, small dose groups can decrease virus load significantly at each time point, after being affected (P<0.05, P<0.01), Jin Chai antiviral capsule can increase the interferoninducible transmembrane protein3 in lung of mice, large dose groups are significantly higher in expression of IFITM3 compared with model group at each time point (P<0.05, P<0.01). Middle dose groups are significantly higher in expression of IFITM3 compared with model group at the 3th day and the 5th day (P<0.05), small dose groups are significantly higher in expression of IFITM3 compared with model group at the 3th day (P<0.05). It can be concluded that Jin Chai antiviral capsule exerts antiviral effects against influenzavirus by raised expression of IFITM3.

[Effects of yin qiaojiedu soft capsule on influenza virus load and M1 expression in mice].

This study is to investigate the treatment of YinQiaojiedu soft capsule for influenza virus A/PR8/34 (H1N1) infection. The model of pneumonia was established by dropping influenza virus into the nose of normal mice, and the lung index and death rate were observed. Real time RT-PCR and Western blotting technique were used to detect the virus load and the relative expression of M1 protein in lungs of mice on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th day after infection. The results showed that YinQiaojiedu soft capsule in 1 g x kg(-1) and 0.5 g x kg(-1) dose groups can decrease the lung index significantly on the 3rd, 5th and 7th day after being infected (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the number of death in the two groups of animals decreased significantly. YinQiaojiedu soft capsule in 1 g x kg(-1) dose group can decreased virus load at each time point, and lower it in 0.5 g x kg(-1) dose group at the 3rd, 5th and 7th day (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). YinQiaojiedu soft capsule can decrease the relative expression of M1 protein in lungs of mice, 1 g x kg(-1) and 0.5 g x kg(-1) dose groups are significantly lower in expression of M1 protein compared with model group at the 3rd and 7th day (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). It can be concluded that YinQiaojiedu soft capsule exerts antiviral effects against influenza virus by downregulating expression of virus load and M1 protein.