Systematic characterization of the chemical constituents in vitro and in vivo of Qianghuo by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

The Chinese herb Qianghuo is an antiphlogistic herb with many effects and complex components. In this study, the chemical composition of Qianghuo and its components in rat plasma after oral administration were investigated using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). The extracts, blank plasma, and plasma containing the drug were analyzed by mass spectrometry, and data collected in both positive and negative ion modes were analyzed using Masslynx software, and the structures were confirmed by combining the compound fragment ions and mass spectrometry cleavage pathways. A total of 62 in vitro chemical components were identified, including 27 coumarins, 18 organic acids, 5 amino acids, 5 glycosides, 2 flavonoids, 4 nucleotides, and 1 ester, which were summarized from the obtained compounds in terms of their possible cleavage patterns. Among the identified 31 compounds in rat plasma, 21 were prototypes, mostly coumarins, organic acids, and flavonoids, and 10 were metabolites, which were mainly generated via hydroxylation and methylation pathways. Based on these, this study provides a theoretical foundation for quality control and basic research on Qianghuo medicinal substances.

Clinical study on acupuncture treatment of gastrointestinal damp-heat acne.

BACKGROUND: Acne is a common inflammatory disease of sebaceous glands, which brings extensive emotional and psychological distress to patients. Although acupuncture has certain advantages in the treatment of acne, the curative effect is not exact. The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and safety of the "Spleen and Stomach Guiyuan Acupuncture Method" (SSGA) in the treatment of gastrointestinal damp-heat acne. METHODS: The proposed protocol is planned as a randomized, assessor-blind, conventional-treatment-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of SSGA on gastrointestinal damp-heat acne. Seventy six gastrointestinal damp-heat acne patients will be randomly divided into 2 groups and receive SSGA or conventional acupuncture treatment. The entire study period is 12 weeks, including an 8-week treatment period and a 4-week follow-up period. All patients will receive 16 sessions of acupuncture treatment over 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the investigation global assessment (IGA) at week 8, which is an overall assessment of the degree of the inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion. The secondary outcomes include IGA, the total facial lesion count (Total Lesion Count), the acne-specific quality of life, etc at weeks 8 and 12. The Expectation and Credibility of treatment rating scale will be used to measure the patients' attitudes to acupuncture after the first treatment. Adverse events will also be recorded. DISCUSSION: This study is helpful to evaluate the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and safety of SSGA in the treatment of gastrointestinal damp-heat acne. The results will be used in sample size calculations for subsequent large-scale studies.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100047363. Registered on June 13, 2021.

Effects of Viola yedoensis Makino anti-itching compound on degranulation and cytokine generation in RBL-2H3 mast cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The Chinese herb compound prescription Viola yedoensis Makino Anti-itching Compound (VYAC), which consists of Viola yedoensis Makino, herb, Sophora flavescens Aiton, root, and Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz, root and rhizome, has been traditionally used to treat various skin allergic inflammatory diseases in clinic. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of VYAC on degranulation and to determine its anti-inflammatory mechanism in RBL-2H3 mast cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: VYAC was extracted with water-coction extraction (Shufen et al., 2012). The aqueous extracts were concentrated in vacuum under reduced pressure and lyophilized using a freeze dryer, and lyophilized powder was obtained. MTT was used to evaluate the cytotoxic of VYAC on RBL-2H3 cells. Degranulation was carried out with RBL-2H3 cell model, which was stimulated with A23187 plus PMA. ß-Hexosaminidase and histamine were measured to evaluate degranulation. The mRNA levels of inflammation cytokines (IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS) were investigated by RT-PCR to explain the anti-inflammatory mechanism of VYAC. RESULTS: VYAC did not show cytotoxic effect on RBL-2H3 cells in the range of 25-400µg/mL. A higher dose of VYAC (800µg/mL) showed significant cytotoxicity (P<0.05). VYAC could significantly inhibit ß-hexosaminidase and histamine release when treated with 100, 200, and 400µg/mL (P<0.05), but could not significantly inhibit ß-Hexosaminidase and histamine release when treated with 25 and 50µg/mL (p>0.05). The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and iNOS) could significantly decrease when treated with 200 and 400µg/mL (P<0.05) of VYAC, which were associated with the development of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that VYAC inhibited ß-hexosaminidase and histamine release, which was inhibit A23187 plus PMA stimulated RBL-2H3 cell degranulation and downregulated inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS) expression to block inflammatory development.