Traditional Chinese Medicine Aconiti Radix Cocta Improves Rheumatoid Arthritis via Suppressing COX-1 and COX-2.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Aconiti Radix Cocta (AC) is clinically employed to expel wind, remove dampness, and relieve pain. We evaluated the antirheumatoid arthritis (RA) activities and underlying mechanisms of AC. The chemical constituents of AC were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using three reference compounds (benzoylaconitine, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypacoitine). The anti-RA effects of AC were evaluated in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats by hind paw volume and histopathological analysis. The effects of AC on inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß and IL-17A) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The regulation of cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and/or COX-2) was determined by Western blot and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses. AC significantly reduced paw swelling, attenuated the inflammation and bone destruction in joint tissues, and reduced IL-1ß and IL-17A in the serum. Moreover, AC downregulated the expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in the synovial tissues. We also identified that AC possesses significant anti-RA activities on AIA, which may be ascribed to the regulation of inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and IL-17, as well as to the inhibition of arachidonic acid signaling pathways. Our findings provide theoretical support for AC as an effective nature-derived therapeutic agent for RA treatment.

[Analysis on transfer rate change of heavy metal in decoction and precipitation of Curcuma phaeocaulis before and after processing with vinegar based on ICP-MS].

Chinese herbs are mostly used to make decoction, which would form precipitation after standing for cooling and abandoned by patients. Processing with vinegar can change the property of the herbal pieces, such as the transfer rate of heavy metal into decoction. To analyze the transfer rate change of heavy metal in the decoction and precipitation of Curcuma phaeocaulis before and after processing with vinegar, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to establish the determination method on five heavy metals in C. phaeocaulis, including Copper (Cu), arsenic (As), chromium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), using microwave to digest the samples, indium (In) as the internal standard, and national level standard material tea leaves GBW10016 (GSB-7 tea) as the quality control standard material. Then, the content of five heavy metals in the herbal pieces, decoction and five heavy metals of 6 representative batches of C. phaeocaulis and their vinegar-processing products was determinated. After computation, the transfer rates of heavy metals in the decoction and precipitation of C. phaeocaulis Val. before and after the processing with vinegar were obtained. The results showed that, after the processing with vinegar, total transfer rate of Pb and Hg was decreased significantly; total transfer rate of Cd and Cu was slightly decreased; total transfer rate of As was slightly increased, however heavy metals in all the precipitation were decreased. The results indicated that processing with vinegar had certain influence on heavy metal transfer rate, with certain synergistic and attenuated effect.

[Study on composition of essential oils in three different origins' Curcumae Rhizoma by AMDIS and retention index].

To compare the differences of essential oils extracted from Curcumae Rhizoma with different origins. The TIC of the essential oils of Curcumae Rhizoma from three different origins recorded by CP(2010) , were investigated by GC-MS combined with automated mass spectral deconvolution and identification system(AMDIS),steps as follow： firstly, overlapped peaks were resolved by AMDIS,secondly, NIST11.L standard MS spectral database combined with retention index were used to assist qualitative analysis, thirdly, the peak area of each split peak were determined by choosing the characteristic fragment ion peak, finally, the relative percentage contents of each compounds were determined through peak area normalization method. The results showed that the components of the essential oils of Curcumae Rhizoma from three origins were different from each other at various degree. In conclusion, the types and content of essential oils could be an indicator to evaluate the quality of Curcumae Rhizoma from different origins and its geoherbalism.

[Simultaneous determination of beta-elemene, curcumol, germacrone and neocurdione in volatile oil of Curcuma phaeocaulis and vinegar products by GC-MS].

This study aims to develop a method for determination of beta-elemene, curcumol, germacrone and neocurdione in the volatile oil of Curcuma phaeocaulis, and to provide the basis of the quality control method for the volatile oil of C. phaeocaulis and the related preparations. Based on GC-MS, the 4 main compounds were simultaneously determined, with the internal standard n-tridecane. The Agilent 19091S-433 column (0.25 microm x 250 microm x 30 m) was adopted at the temperature of 250 degrees C, the programmed temperature method (60 degrees C for 1 min, 5 degrees C x min x to 110 degrees C for 5 min, 1 degrees C x min(-1) to 140 degrees C, 5 degrees C x min(-1) to 160 degrees C, 10 degrees C x min(-1) to 240 degrees C) was used. Helium gas was used as the carrier gas at a constant flow rat of 1 mL x min(-1), with an injection volume of 1 RL. Mass spectra were taken at 70 eV; the ion-source temperature was 200 degrees C. The relation time and character acteristic ions for each target compound were determined by full scan mode and SIM, and m/z 85.1, 93.1, 121.1, 107.1 and 180.1 were the detection ions of n-tridecane, beta-elemene, curcumol, germacrone and neocurdione. As a result, beta-elemene, curcumol, germacrone and neocurdione were all detected with good separation. They were all in a good linear relationship within each concentration scope. The average recovery rates were in the range of 98.2%-101%. So, the method can be used to control the quality of the volatile of C. phaeocaulis Val. and the preparations related.

[Study on attenuate and synergistic mechanism between aconiti lateralis praeparata radix and glycyrrhizae radix for toxicity reduction based on metabonomic of MI-RI mouse cardiomyocytes].

Sini decoction (SND), a classical traditional Chinese medicine emergency formula recorded in Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Febrile Diseases), which is composed of Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Radix, Glycyrrhizae Preparata Radix and Zingiberis Rhizoma. Modern clinical and pharmacological researches have shown that SND can protect the myocardium effectively during myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MI-RI). A myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury model of H9c2 cardiomyocytes in vitro has been established. Four groups, control group, MI-RI Model group, SND group and SND without Glycyrrhizae Radix group, were arranged. The livability, the level of LDH and CK activity in H9c2 cardiomyocytes in different groups were tested. By combining with principal components analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), orthogonal partial least squares projection of latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), 17 biomarkers in extracellular fluid were identified and 15 of them were related to the pathway of biological processes. The results showed that the attenuate and synergistic mechanism between Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix for toxicity reduction was related with the glycolysis, lipid metabolism, citrate cycle and nitrogen metabolism of amino acids metabolism. The study proved the effect on H9c2 cardiomyocyte treated by MI-RI injury both SND group and SND without Glycyrrhizae Radix group, and compared with the SND without Glycyrrhizae Radix, the protective effect of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury model of H9c2 cardiomyocyte from SND was stronger.

[Interpretation of contemporary positioning of traditional Chinese medicine injections and analysis of key problems].

According to the current situations and development of (TCMIs), the author of the article reveals the scientific connotation of TCMIs in theory, preparations and clinic application, and points out that TCMIs are an innovative and breakthrough of conventional dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicines, the combination of traditional theory and modern technology as well as a type of modern dosage form with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines, which conforms to the principle of including the essence and excluding the wastes for traditional Chinese medicine preparations, meets the demands for quick-acting of traditional Chinese medicines and guides one of the development orientation of traditional Chinese medicines. In the meantime, an analysis was also made on key issues, such as adverse reactions of TCMIs, modern clinical application, special drug delivery route and diversity of components and ingredients.