Role of Macrophage Activation and Polarization in Myocardial Fibrosis and Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Myocardial fibrosis （MF） is a common pathological manifestation of various heart diseases. Due to the non-renewable nature of myocardial cells， the occurrence of MF represents irreversible damage to the myocardium. Previous studies have suggested that fibroblast-mediated collagen deposition is the main mechanism of MF. Recent studies have found that there is an immune regulation mechanism in the heart itself， and macrophage activation/polarization plays an important role in MF. With the deepening of traditional Chinese medicine research， scholars have found that traditional Chinese medicine can interfere with MF by regulating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system （RAAS） system and the inflammatory process， repairing the extracellular matrix， managing oxidative stress， and maintaining the balance of autophagy. This process is closely related to the activation and M1/M2 polarization of macrophages. Throughout the MF process， macrophage activation is beneficial， but excessive activation will be harmful. In the early stage of MF， appropriate M1 macrophage polarization is conducive to activating immunity and removing harmful substances. In the middle and late stages of MF， appropriate M2 macrophage polarization is conducive to remodeling the damaged myocardium. If macrophage activation is excessive/insufficient， or the balance of M1/M2 macrophage polarization is broken， the effect changes from improvement to destruction. Traditional Chinese medicines that regulate the activation/polarization of macrophages have the effects of replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin， as well as regulating Qi and activating blood， but there are also some heat-clearing， dampness-drying， and detoxification products. Therefore， the occurrence of MF may be caused by Qi and Yin deficiency， damp heat accumulation， and Qi stagnation and blood stasis. By summarizing the biological processes involved in macrophage activation/polarization in MF， this paper expounded on the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating macrophage activation and M1/M2 polarization from different angles to improve MF， so as to provide a reference for the treatment of MF with traditional Chinese medicine.

Potential molecular mechanism of the Xiexin capsule in the intervention of dyslipidemia based on bioinformatics and molecular docking / Posible mecanismo molecular de la cápsula Xiexin en la intervención de la dislipidemia basada en la bioinformática y el acoplamiento molecular

Objective: bioinformatic methods and molecular docking technology were used to predict the active components, targets, and related biological pathways of the Xiexin capsule in the intervention for dyslipidemia, exploring its mechanism. Methods: the active components and targets of the Xiexin capsule were screened by the TCMSP (Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform )database. Genecards (The Human Gene Database), OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man), PharmGkb (Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base database), TTD (Therapeutic Target Database), and Drugbank platforms were used to search the disease targets of dyslipidemia. The Cytoscape 3.8.0 software was used to construct the 'component-target' network diagram, and the STRING (functional protein association networks) platform was used to analyze protein-protein interaction (PPI). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed by R language data packets to predict the mechanism of action. The AutoDockVina and PyMol software were used to dock the key active components in the Xiexin capsule and the core proteins in PPI. Results: a total of 66 effective components were screened, involving 114 targets; 87 key active compounds were screened from the 'drug-component-target' diagram. The PPI network mainly involved core proteins such as PTGS2 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2), PTGS1 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1), and HSP90AA1 (heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1). GO and KEGG enrichment analysis results of common targets mainly involved hormone-mediated signaling pathway, steroid hormone response, lipid transport and metabolism, regulation of cholesterol storage, cyclooxygenase pathway, and other biological pathways, as well asMM PPAR (peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor) signaling pathway, IL-17 (interleukin 17) signaling pathway (AU)

Objetivo: se utilizaron métodos bioinformáticos y técnicas de acoplamiento molecular para predecir los componentes efectivos, los objetivos y las vías biológicas relacionadas de la cápsula Xiexin en la intervención de la dislipidemia y explorar su mecanismo. Métodos: los componentes activos y los objetivos de la cápsula Xiexin fueron seleccionados por la base de datos TCMSP. Se utilizaron las plataformas Genecards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TTD (Therapeutic Target Database) y Drugbank para buscar las dianas de la enfermedad en la dislipidemia. El diagrama reticular “componente-diana” fue construido por el software Cytoscape 3.7.0, y la interacción proteína-proteína (PPI) fue analizada por la plataforma STRING. Los análisis de enriquecimiento de Gene Ontology (GO) y Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG) se realizaron mediante paquetes de datos en lenguaje R para predecir el mecanismo de acción. El software AutoDockVina y PyMol se utilizó para unir los componentes activos clave de la cápsula Xiexin y las proteínas clave de la PPI. Resultados: se seleccionaron 65 componentes activos y 114 dianas. Veintitrés compuestos activos clave fueron seleccionados a partir de la tabla “componentes farmacéuticos-dianas”. Las redes PPI incluyen principalmente proteínas básicas como PTGS2, PTGS1 y HSP90AA1. Los resultados del análisis de enriquecimiento de GO y KEGG en los objetivos comunes se refieren principalmente a la vía de señalización mediada por esteroides, la respuesta hormonal esteroidea, el transporte y metabolismo lipídicos, la regulación del almacenamiento de colesterol, la vía de la ciclooxigenasa y otras vías biológicas, así como la vía de señalización de PPAR, la vía de señalización de IL-17, la vía de señalización de PI3K-Akt (AU)

Content Determination of Ginsenoside Rg1, Ginsenoside Re and Ginsenoside Rb1 in Wenyang Zhenshuai Granules by HPLC / 中国中医药信息杂志

s: Objective To establish an HPLC method to determine the contents of ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re and ginsenoside Rb1 in Wenyang Zhenshuai Granules.Methods The separation was preformed on Agilent TC-C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitril-0.05% aqueous solution of phosphoric acid with gradient elution (0–35 min, 19% acetonitrile; 35–58 min, 19%–29% acetonitrile; 58–70 min, 28% acetonitrile; 70–100 min, 29%–40% acetonitrile). The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min; the wavelength of detector was 203 nm; the temperature of column was 35℃.Results The calibration curves showed good linearity in the range of 0.22–2.2 μg (ginsenoside Rg1,r=0.9998), 0.22–2.2 μg (ginsenoside Re,r=0.9998) and 0.26–2.6 μg (ginsenoside Rb1,r=0.9991), respectively. The average recoveries of ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re and ginsenoside Rb1 were 98.04%, 96.58% and 96.75%, respectively.Conclution The method is accurate, hypersensitized and reproducible, which can be applied to the quality control of Wenyang Zhenshuai Granules.

Effect of Wenyang Zhenshuai Granules on the Expression of Myocardial MEF2 in Model Rats with Chron-ic Heart Failure / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of Wenyang zhenshuai granules on myocardial MEF2 in model rats with chronic heart failure(CHF). METHODS:10 rats were randomly selected in 60 rats as normal control group(normal saline),the remain-ing 50 rats were randomly divided into model control group (normal saline),positive control group [enalapril,1.8 mg/(kg·d)], Wenyang zhenshuai granules low-dose,medium-dose,high-dose groups [0.72,1.44,2.88 g/(kg·d)] after induced to CHF models by adriamycin,intragastrically administrated twice a day,for 4 weeks. After administration,heart function indexes [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVSD) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVDD)] of rats in each group were detected,protein expressions of myocardial MEF2 and phos-phorylated MEF2 (p-MEF2) and mRNA expression of MEF2 were determined. RESULTS:Compared with normal control group, LVEF,LVFS of rats in model control group and each administration group were significantly reduced (P<0.05),LVSD,LVDD were significantly increased (P<0.05);protein expression of myocardial p-MEF2 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.05), and there were no statistical significances in protein or mRNA expressions of MEF2 (P>0.05). Compared with model control group,heart function indexes of rats in each administration group were significantly improved (P<0.05);protein expression of myocardial p-MEF2 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.05),and there were no statistical significances in protein or mRNA ex-pressions of MEF2(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Wenyang zhenshuai granule can antagonize the down-regulation effect of adriamy-cin-induced MEF2 protein phosphorylation,which may be one of the mechanisms of its treatment for CHF.