Saikosaponin F ameliorates depression-associated dry eye disease by inhibiting TRIM8-induced TAK1 ubiquitination.

AIMS: Saikosaponin F (SsF) is one of the major active ingredients of Radix Bupleuri, an herb widely used in the treatment of depression. Studies have shown that dry eye disease often occurs together with depression. The aim of this study is to investigate whether SsF can improve depression-associated dry eye disease and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Behavioral test was used to verify the effect of SsF on CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Corneal fluorescein staining, phenol red cotton thread test and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were used to observe the effect of SsF on depression-associated dry eye disease. Western blot (WB) was performed to observe the expression of TAK1 protein and key proteins of NF-κB and MAPK (P38) inflammatory pathways in the hippocampus and cornea. Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression of microglia, and immunoprecipitation was used to observe K63-linked TAK1 ubiquitination. Subsequently, we constructed a viral vector sh-TAK1 to silence TAK1 protein to verify whether SsF exerted its therapeutic effect based on TAK1. The expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-18 in hippocampus and cornea were detected by ELISA. Overexpression of TRIM8 (OE-TRIM8) by viral vector was used to verify whether SsF improved depression-associated dry eye disease based on TRIM8. RESULTS: SsF treatment significantly improved the depression-like behavior, increased tear production and restored corneal injury in depression-related dry eye model mice. SsF treatment downregulated TAK1 expression and TRIM8-induced K63-linked TAK1 polyubiquitination, while inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and MAPK (P38) inflammatory pathways and microglial expression. In addition, selective inhibition of TAK1 expression ameliorated depression-associated dry eye disease, while overexpression of TRIM8 attenuated the therapeutic effect of SsF on depression-associated dry eye disease. CONCLUSION: SsF inhibited the polyubiquitination of TAK1 by acting on TRIM8, resulting in the downregulation of TAK1 expression, inhibition of inflammatory response, and improvement of CUMS-induced depression-associated dry eye disease.

Modified Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder (MDXP) improves the corneal damage in dry eye disease (DED) mice through phagocytosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Modified Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder (MDXP) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula remedy for treating Dry Eye Disease (DED). It showed the function of dispersing stagnated liver Qi for relieving Qi stagnation and clearing heat, which can be effective in treating conditions such as Dry Eye Disease (DED) and irregular menstruation due to liver depression and fire transformation. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study investigated the mechanism of the effect of MDXP in mice with DED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A DED model was induced in mice using chronic painful stimulation (tail clamping) in combination with Benzalkonium Chloride Solution drops administered in a dry box for 28 days. After modeling, the MDXP groups were given Chinese medicine with different dosages by gavage for 14 days. The following parameters were recorded in each group: body mass, anal temperature, tear secretion, tear film rupture time, and corneal fluorescein staining. Behavioral changes were evaluated by elevating cross-maze and open-field experiments. The levels of inflammatory factors serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), fcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway cell division control protein 42 homolog (CDC42), actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 (ARPC2), and actin-related protein 3 (ACTR3) were measured by using Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunohistochemical staining, and real-time fluorescent qualitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: MDXP increased body mass and lowered body temperature, prolonged tear film break-up time, promoted tear secretion, repaired corneal damage, decreased horizontal and vertical scores, elevated percentage of open arm times and boom opening time percentage, and reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors of TNF-α, IL-1ß and pathway-related proteins CDC42, ARPC2, and ACTR3 in mice. MDXP also reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors of TNF-α and IL-1ß in human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs), mouse mononuclear macrophage cells (RAW264.7), and human myeloid leukemia mononuclear cells (THP-1). CONCLUSIONS: MDXP can relieve tension and anxiety, inhibit apoptosis, reduce phagocytosis, reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, repair corneal damage, and improve the symptoms in DED mice. The mechanism of action may be through the fcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway.

Visualization analysis of the research status of FU Qingzhu’s Obstetrics and Gynecology based on bibliometrics / 数字中医药（英文）

@#Objective This study examined the research status and development process of FU Qingzhu’s Obstetrics and Gynecology (Fu Qing Zhu Nv Ke,《傅青主女科》, FQZNK) in the past 40 years with bibliometrics and visual analysis. Methods Retrieved all related literature in the research field of FQZNK from the domestic and foreign databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, and Web of Science (WOS) core database, including Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI). The search range was from January 1, 1980 to March 10, 2021. In addition, bibliometrics and CiteSpace 5.7.R2 software were used to analyze literature types, published journals, cited literature, the number of author publications, co-author networks, co-institution networks, keyword co-occurrence networks, keyword clusters, and keyword bursts. Results A total of 678 valid records were included in the final dataset. Literature types, high publication journals, highly cited literature, high-yield institutions, high-yield research teams, and high-productivity scholars in this research field were found through bibliometrics. Literature types can be divided into four categories, among which 451 are theoretical studies on academic thoughts of FQZNK, accounting for 66.5% of the included journals. The Journal of Shanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine had the largest volume of published articles (61), accounting for 9.0% of the total number of the included journals. The most cited literature was ZHOU Mingxin’s article “Using the quantitative method to discuss author’s authenticity and formula characteristics of FU Qingzhu’s Obstetrics and Gynecology”, which was cited 94 times. Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, the institution with the most publications, published 45 articles, and YOU Zhaoling, the most published author, published 33 articles. Moreover, it was found that most high-yield researchers came from high-yield institutions and that Hunan University of Chinese Medicine had the most research on FQZNK. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed that the keyword “FQZNK” had the highest frequency (597 times) and the highest centrality (1.00). Keyword cluster analysis used the Log-Likelihood Ratio (LLR) algorithm to form eleven important clusters: #0 treatment aiming at its root causes, #1 gynecopathy, #2 Siwu Decoction (四物汤), #3 FU Qingzhu, #4 post-partum, #5 infertility, #6 dysmenorrhea, #7 sterility, #8 coordinate the heart and kidney, #9 Danggui Buxue Decoction (当归补血汤), and #10 treatment. It was found that the prescriptions of FQZNK were studied mainly before 2000, the theoretical studies were mainly conducted before 2010, and its clinical application was mainly explored from 2010 until now. Diseases such as dysmenorrhea, morbid vaginal discharge, infertility, metrorrhagia, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have recently become popular topics in this field. Conclusion The current study provides more scientific, accurate, and comprehensive scientific support for further research and development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in FQZNK. With this foundation, people can use burst detection to ascertain the current hotspots in research, get their development trends, and forecast future research directions. In addition, infertility, morbid vaginal discharge, flooding, and PCOS treatments based on TCM syndrome differentiation are currently popular research topics for FQZNK.