Oral absorption and effect of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine: a new perspective and research mode of phase structure / 中国中药杂志

Protein polypeptides and polysaccharides, the indispensable macromolecular active components in traditional Chinese medicine, are widely found in Chinese medicine decoction after the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine. However, through oral administration, these macromolecules are digested by the stomach and intestine and thus fail to be absorbed in prototype. This is inconsistent with the actual clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine decoction. According to modern research, new phase structures and effects of the macromolecules emerge during the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine, but the phase change law caused by the interaction among the components of traditional Chinese medicine and the relationship between phase structure and effect are still unclear. Thus, this study reviewed the oral absorption of macromolecular components of traditional Chinese medicine, analyzed the internal relationship of the form of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine with the absorption and effect based on phase structure, and summarized the research mode of oral absorption and effect of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine with phase structures as the core, providing new ideas and methods for future research.

Silk fibroin/collagen composite hydrogels with different matrix stiffness influence the growth and phenotype of human mammary epithelial cells / 生理学报

Extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is closely related to the physiological and pathological states of breast tissue. The current study was aimed to investigate the effect of silk fibroin/collagen composite hydrogels with adjustable matrix stiffness on the growth and phenotype of normal breast epithelial cells. In this study, the enzymatic reaction of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to change the degree of cross-linking of the silk fibroin solution. The rotational rheometer was used to characterize the composite hydrogel's biomechanical properties. Human normal mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A were inoculated into composite hydrogels with various stiffness (19.10-4 932.36 Pa) to construct a three dimensional (3D) culture system of mammary epithelial cells. The CCK-8 assay was applied to detect the cell proliferation rate and active states in each group. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and whole-mount magenta staining were used for histological evaluation of cell morphology and distribution. The results showed that with the increase of matrix stiffness, MCF-10A cells exhibited inhibited proliferation rate, decreased formation of acinus structures and increased branching structures. Meanwhile, with the increase of matrix stiffness, the polarity of MCF-10A cells was impeded. And the increase of matrix stiffness up-regulated the expression levels of mmp-2, mmp-3, and mmp-9 in MCF-10A cells. Among the genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the expression level of the epithelial marker gene E-cadherin was significantly down-regulated, while the interstitial cell marker gene Vimentin was up-regulated, and the expression levels of Snail, Wnt5b and Integrin β1 in the Wnt pathway were up-regulated. These results suggest that the silk fibroin/collagen composite hydrogels with adjustable matrix stiffness regulates the proliferation and the phenotype of MCF-10A cells. The effects of increased matrix stiffness may be closely related to the changes of the polar structures and function of MCF-10A cells, as well as the occurrence of ECM-remodeling and EMT.

Food safety risk monitoring ability of institutions for disease control and prevention in a province / 上海预防医学

Objective:To determine the current situation of food safety risk monitoring ability of centers for disease control and prevention （CDCs） in a province， and provide reference for strengthening the construction of food safety monitoring ability in the future. Methods:A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 14 CDCs who are responsible for food safety risk monitoring in the province in 2018. Results:The ratio of food inspection staff with senior， middle， and primary professional titles was 1∶1∶1. The educational background of food inspection staff at the provincial and municipal levels was mainly bachelor degree or above， while that of county level directly under the administration of the province was mainly college degree. The age composition of the staff at the provincial level tended to be elder； however， there were more staff with less working experience at the county level. The qualification proportion of laboratory area was 50%. The distribution proportion of food inspection equipment in the CDC at all levels was 83.3%， 79.5% and 36.3%， respectively. In total， 14 CDCs completed the monitoring task as required. They were all accredited with laboratory qualifications； however， one CDC did not conduct re-evaluation after the certification of food inspection qualification expired. Each CDC ensured the accuracy and reliability of monitoring data through the supervision in food testing. Conclusion:The food safety risk monitoring ability of the CDCs in the province is continuously improved， which can meet the needs of routine monitoring. However， the composition of professional titles of food inspection staff is not very reasonable. There is still a gap between the equipment configuration and the national requirements. The ability of food inspection needs to be improved， in which quality management and laboratory qualification should be further strengthened.