Nitrogen addition changed the relationships of fine root respiration and biomass with key physiological traits in ozone-stressed poplars.

Increasing ozone (O3) and nitrogen (N) addition may have contradictory effects on plant photosynthesis and growth. However, it remains unclear whether these effects on aboveground parts further change the root resource management strategy and the relationships of fine root respiration and biomass with other physiological traits. In this study, an open-top chamber experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of O3 alone and in combination with nitrogen (N) addition on root production and fine root respiration of poplar clone 107 (Populus × euramericana cv. '74/76'). Saplings were grown with (100 kg ha-1 year-1) or without (+0 kg ha-1 year-1) N addition under two O3 regimes (non-filtered ambient air or non-filtered ambient air + 60 ppb of O3). After about two to three months of treatment, elevated O3 significantly decreased fine root biomass and starch content but increased fine root respiration, which occurred in tandem with inhibited leaf light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Asat). Nitrogen addition did not change fine root respiration or biomass, neither did it alter the effect of elevated O3 on the fine root traits. However, N addition weakened the relationships of fine root respiration and biomass with Asat, fine root starch and N concentrations. No significant relationships of fine root biomass and respiration with soil mineralized N were observed under elevated O3 or N addition. These results imply that changed relationships of plant fine root traits under global changes should be considered into earth system process models to project more accurately future carbon cycle.

Interactive effects of ozone exposure and nitrogen addition on the rhizosphere bacterial community of poplar saplings.

It is widely documented that elevated ground-level ozone (O3) has negative effects on tree physiological characteristics, and in return, affects forest ecosystem function. However, the effect may be modified by soil nitrogen (N) availability. Numerous studies have focused on the aboveground part of trees under elevated O3 alone or in combination with soil N; however, little is known about the response of soil bacterial communities. Here, we investigated the effects of O3 (charcoal-filtered air, CF, versus ambient air +40 ppb of O3, E-O3), N addition (0 kg ha-1 yr-1, N0, versus 200 kg ha-1 yr-1, N200), and their combination on rhizosphere soil bacterial communities of hybrid poplar, using an MiSeq targeted amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. E-O3 significantly decreased bacterial abundance, and N200 significantly decreased the α-diversity. The negative impacts of N200 on α-diversity were alleviated by E-O3. Nitrogen and E-O3-N200 combination altered bacterial community composition, with a significant increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes and a decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes. From an ecological network analysis, E-O3, alone and in combination with N200, complicated the co-occurrence network of bacterial communities by inducing a microbial survival strategy, shifting the hub species from RB41 to Bacillus and Blastococcus. Conversely, N200 led to simplification and decentralization of the co-occurrence network. These findings demonstrate that the rhizosphere bacterial communities exhibit divergent responses to E-O3 and N200, suggesting the need to consider the stability of the belowground ecosystem to optimize plantation management in response to environmental changes.

Application of Mitochondrial Targeting Strategy of Nano-delivery System in Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment / 生物化学与生物物理进展

Tumor is one of the major diseases that endanger people’s health. At present, the treatments used for tumor include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and so on. Nonetheless, the traditional treatments have some disadvantages, such as insufficient treatment effect, liable to cause multidrug resistance, toxicity and side effect. Further research and exploration of tumor treatment schemes are still necessary. As the energy converter of cells, mitochondria are currently considered to be one of the most important targets for the design of new drugs for tumor, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Nano-drug delivery carriers have the characteristics of being easily modified with active targeting groups, and it can achieve accurate targeted drug delivery to cells and organelles. This paper reviews the application of mitochondrial targeted nanoparticles in tumor diagnosis and treatment from the aspects of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, promoting tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor recurrence and metastasis, and inducing cell autophagy.

Research on full life cycle quality control methods of medical electrical equipment based on GB9706.1-2020 / 中国医学装备

To study the basic safety and basic performance of medical electrical equipment,to form quality control in multiple aspects of design,research and development,verification,circulation,application and maintenance,and to promote effective supervision of medical equipment safety.The differences between national standards GB9706.1-2007 and GB9706.1-2020 were compared and analyzed,and the product safety and requirements were updated by combining product design documents,usability documents and risk management documents.A full life cycle quality control process for medical electrical equipment was proposed to improve the demonstration of compliance under the new standard.Manufacturers should strengthen the risk management strategies,clarify the awareness of quality responsibility,establish the full life cycle quality control methods for medical electrical equipment,and meet the requirements for product registration and post-market supervision.

Chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix: a review / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix, which is also called Yuan Shen, black Shen, is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis of the Scrophulariaceae family. Research has indicated that the chemical constituents of Scrophulariae Radix mainly include terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, volatile oils, steroids, sugars, flavonoids, alkaloids and phenols, among which iridoids and phenylpropanoids were the main active constituents. It has been reported that extracts of Scrophulariae Radix or its active substances have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, uric acid-lowering, anti-depression, myocardial cell-protective and other pharmacological activities, and can regulate cardiovascular system, central nervous system and immune system. This paper reviewed the present research achievements of Scrophulariae Radix in chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing methods, toxicity and other aspects, and the clinical application of Scrophulariae Radix in ancient and modern times was illustrated. This paper aimed to provide reference for further research of Scrophulariae Radix and facilitated its clinical application.

Research progress on anti-inflammatory effects of plant-derived cannabinoid type 2 receptor modulators / 中国中药杂志

Excessive and persistent inflammatory responses are a potential pathological condition that can lead to diseases of various systems, including nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and endocrine systems. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor(CB2R) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family and is widely distributed in immune cells, peripheral tissues, and the central nervous system. It plays a role in inflammatory responses under various pathological conditions. The down-regulation of CB2R activity is an important marker of inflammation and and CB2R modulators have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. This study explored the relationship between CB2R and inflammatory responses, delved into its regulatory mechanisms in inflammatory diseases, and summarized the research progress on CB2R modulators from plants other than cannabis, including plant extracts and monomeric compounds, in exerting anti-inflammatory effects. The aim is to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Changes in nutrients and decay rate of Ginkgo biloba leaf litter exposed to elevated O3 concentration in urban area.

Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has been widely concerned in the world, particularly in the cities of Asia, including China. Elevated O3 concentrations have potentially influenced growth and nutrient cycling of trees in urban forest. The decomposition characteristics of urban tree litters under O3 exposure are still poorly known. Ginkgo biloba is commonly planted in the cities of northern China and is one of the main tree species in the urban forest of Shenyang, where concentrations of ground-level O3 are very high in summer. Here, we hypothesized that O3 exposure at high concentrations would alter the decomposition rate of urban tree litter. In open-top chambers (OTCs), 5-year-old G. biloba saplings were planted to investigate the impact of elevated O3 concentration (120 ppb) on changes in nutrient contents and decomposition rate of leaf litters. The results showed that elevated O3 concentration significantly increased K content (6.31 ± 0.29 vs 17.93 ± 0.40, P < 0.01) in leaves of G. biloba, significantly decreased the contents of total phenols (2.82 ± 0.93 vs 1.60 ± 0.44, P < 0.05) and soluble sugars (86.51 ± 19.57 vs 53.76 ± 2.40, P < 0.05), but did not significantly alter the contents of C, N, P, lignin and condensed tannins, compared with that in ambient air. Furthermore, percent mass remaining in litterbags after 150 days under ambient air and elevated O3 concentration was 56.0% and 52.8%, respectively. No significant difference between treatments was observed in mass remaining at any sampling date during decomposition. The losses of the nutrients in leaf litters of G. biloba showed significant seasonal differences regardless of O3 treatment. However, we found that elevated O3 concentration slowed down the leaf litter decomposition only at the early decomposition stage, but slightly accelerated the litter decomposition at the late stage (after 120 days). This study provides our understanding of the ecological processes regulating biogeochemical cycles from deciduous tree species in high-O3 urban area.

The protective effect of orcinol glucoside on dexamethasone induced osteoblast cell damage through inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor nucleus translocation / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the protective effect of orcinol glucoside on dexamethasone(DEX)-induced osteoblast injury and its mechanism. Methods Primary osteoblasts were extracted from calvaria of neonatal mice and cultured in medium with DEX(1 μmol•L

Preparation of quercetin-human serum albumin-nanoparticles and its inhibitory effects against NASH-induced liver fibrosis in vivo and in vitro / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To prepare quercetin-human serum albumin-nanoparticles （Que-HSA-NPs），and to evaluate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effects of Que-HSA-NPs on hepatic fibrosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）. METHODS Que-HSA-NPs were prepared by desolvation-chemical cross-linking method ，their appearance characteristics were observed ，and their particle size ，polydispersity index （PDI），Zeta potential and drug loading were detected. Quercetin （Que）and Que-HSA-NPs were applied to murine HSC-T 6 cells. The effects of them on survival rate of HSC-T 6，mRNA expression of transforming growth factor β（TGF-β），Type Ⅰ collagen α1（COL1A1）and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）were compared. Que and Que-HSA-NPs were applied to mice fed with low methionine and choline deficient high-fat diet. The serum levels of liver injury indexes ，liver pathological characteristics ，mRNA expressions of TGF-β，COL1A1 and α-SMA，protein expression of α-SMA in liver tissue were determined to evaluate the improvement effects of them on hepatic fibrosis of NASH in mice. RESULTS The prepared Que-HSA-NPs was spherical ，the particle size was （172.9±2.2）nm，the PDI was 0.233，the Zeta potential was －29.2 mV，and the drug loading was 2.99％. Que and Que-HSA-NPs were nontoxic to HSC-T 6 at concentrations of 0-250 μg/mL. Both of them could significantly decrease mRNA expressions of TGF-β，COL1A1 and α-SMA，especially Que-HSA-NPs （P＜0.05）. They also could significantly decrease the serum levels of liver inju ry index ，relieve liver injury and down-regulate mRNA expressions of TGF-β，COL1A1 and α-SMA and protein expression of α-SMA， especially Que-HSA-NPs （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Que- HSA-NPs is successfully prepared ，and confirm that its anti- NASH hepatic fibrosis effect is better than that of Que .

[Effects of increased O3 concentration on growth, subcellular structure and reactive oxygen metabolism of turf-type Festuca arundinace]. / è‡­æ°§æµ“åº¦å‡é«˜å¯¹åªç”¨é«˜ç¾ŠèŒ ç”Ÿé•¿ã€äºšç»†èƒžç»“æž„åŠæ´»æ€§æ°§ä»£è°¢çš„å½±å“.

Taking ambient environmental O3(40 nmol·mol-1) as control, the study was conducted to assess the impact of elevated O3(80 and 160 nmol·mol-1) on the growth, subcellular structure and reactive oxygen metabolism of turf-type Festuca arundinace in open top-chambers (OTCs). The results showed that under 14-day fumigation, the height and leaf width of F. arundinace decreased significantly, and the total biomass decreased by 43.7%, and some fully expanded leaves yellowed under 80 nmol·mol-1 O3. Some visible injury symptoms, brown spots and necrosis appeared in the leaves, the total biomass decreased by 46.2%, and plasma membrane became loose from the cell wall and convoluted, chloroplast and mitochondria were damaged under 160 nmol·mol-1 O3. The rate of superoxide anion (O2-·) production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, malonaldehyde (MDA) content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were higher under the increasing O3 concentrations (80 and 160 nmol·mol-1) compared with control. Total phenolics and the antioxidant capacity increased at first and then decreased with the rise of O3 concentration. It indicated that O3 has already affected F. arundinace growth and antioxidative metabolism before visible injury symptom appeared. F. arundinace had an adaptive response to elevated O3, but it could not protect itself from excessive O3 or long-term O3 exposure.

[Epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Leshan City, 1950-2015].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Leshan City, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the strategy and measures for consolidating the achievements of malaria elimination. METHODS: The data of epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Leshan City from 1950 to 2015 were collected and analyzed with the descriptive epidemiology method. RESULTS: There were four larger scale epidemics of malaria in Leshan City from 1950 to 2015. The order of malaria in infectious diseases dropped from the first to the twentieth. The peak season for malaria epidemics ceased. The Plasmodium species, patient age, occupation and sex distribution of malaria were different in the different periods. In November 2016, the whole city achieved the national standard for malaria elimination. CONCLUSIONS: After years of prevention and control, the epidemiological characteristics of malaria have changed significantly in Leshan City, and the effect of anti-malarial measures is significant. In the future, we should strengthen the monitoring, and prevention and control of imported malaria.

[Effects of elevated O3 on leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release of Quercus mongolica in city].

The leaf litters of 10-year-old Quercus mongolica were put in nylon bags and exposed to elevated 03 level (120 nmol . mol-1) with the control of 40 nmol . mol-1 in open top chambers (OTCs) for 150 days to test the effect of high O3 on the litter decomposition. The results showed that no significant difference was observed in residual mass between elevated O3 treatment and the control. Elevated 03 inhibited the release of C and K during the decomposition, the residual rate of K under elevated O3 treatment (23.9%) was significantly higher than that of the control (17.1%) after 150-day decomposition. Compared with the control, N mineralization and lignin degradation in elevated O3 treatment were inhibited during early period of decomposition (0-60 d), but were promoted in later period (90-150 d). The changes of lignin/N showed no significant difference between elevated O3 treatment and the control during the decomposition. Elevated O3 generally promoted the release of P in leaf litter of Q. mongolica during the decomposition. C/P ratio was higher under elevated 03 than that under control. Significant positive correlation was shown between residual dry mass of leaf litters and the residual rate of C, N, K, C/N ratio during decomposition. Elevated 03 might play an important role in the nutrient cycle of forest ecosystem in high-O3 pollution area.

Genetic diversity and genetic structures of original plants of Viticis Fructus:an SSR markers-based analysis / 中国中药杂志

The present study aimed to provide the protection strategies for wild germplasm resources of original plants of Viticis Fructus and a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of Viticis Fructus. The genetic diversity and genetic structures of the 232 indivi-duals in 19 populations of Vitex rotundifolia and V. trifolia were analyzed by eight SSR markers with tools such as Popgene32, GenAlex 6.502, and STRUCTURE. Bottleneck effect was detected for the population with more than 10 individuals. The results indicated that 42 and 26 alleles were detected from the populations of V. rotundifolia and V. trifolia, respectively, with average expected heterozygo-sities of 0.448 6 and 0.583 9, which are indicative of low genetic diversity. AMOVA revealed the obvious genetic variation of V. rotundifolia and V. trifolia within population(84.43%, P<0.01; 60.37%, P<0.01). Furthermore, in eight SSR loci, six from V. rotundifolia populations and two from V. trifolia populations failed to meet Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations(P<0.05), which confirmed that the populations experienced bottleneck effect. As assessed by Mantel test, geographical distance posed slight impacts on the genetic variation between the populations of V. rotundifolia and V. trifolia. Principal component analysis(PCA) and STRUCTURE analysis demonstrated evident introgression of genes among various populations. The original plants of Viticis Fructus were confirmed low in genetic diversity and genetic differentiation level. Therefore, the protection of wild resources of original plants of Viticis Fructus should be strengthened to ensure its sustainable use.

[Changes and significance of inflammatory cytokines in sera of mice chronically infected with larvae of Echinococcus granulosus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the levels of cytokines in the sera of mice chronically infected with the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus, and explore the mechanisms of immune regulation against parasite infection. METHODS: The protoscoleces were isolated from the livers and lungs of sheep infected with E. granulosus, and then inoculated intraperitoneally to BALB/c mice (2 000 for each mouse), to establish the mouse model of E. granulosus infection. The mice in the control group were injected intraperitoneally with an equal volume of PBS. The sera of both control and infected mice were collected to test the levels of multiple cytokines by using the Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) 5 months post-infection. RESULTS: In contrast to the control group, the multiple cysts were found in the abdominal cavity, livers and lungs of the infected mice. Moreover, the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17A, IL-6, IFN-γ, MCP-1, IL-12P70 and TNF-α in the sera of the infected mice were significantly higher than those in the control group (t = 2.713-9.255, all P < 0.05) while the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were elevated post-infection (t = 3.936, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher inflammatory cytokines in the mice chronically infected with the larvae of E. granulosus, may benefit for the limitation of parasite growth.

Research progress on natural cannabinoid receptor type 2( CB2R)regulators and their effects on bone metabolism / 中国中药杂志

Cannabinoid receptor type 2( CB2 R),a member of the G protein-coupled receptor( GPCR) superfamily,has a variety of biological activities,such as regulating pain response,resisting inflammation and fibrosis,and mediating bone metabolism. Some CB2 R regulators exhibit a good regulatory effect on bone metabolism. Cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa can cause psychoactive effects despite various pharmacological actions they exerted by targeting CB2 R. Therefore,it is of great significance to discover CB2 R regulators in non-Cannabis plants for finding new lead compounds without psychoactive effects and elucidating the action mechanism of plant drugs. The present study clarifies the discovery,structure,and physiological functions of CB2 R,especially its regulatory effects on bone metabolism,summarized CB2 R regulators extracted from non-Cannabis plants,and systematically analyzes the regulatory effects of CB2 R regulators on bone metabolism in animals,osteoblasts,and osteoclasts,to provide a scientific basis for the discovery of new CB2 R regulators and the development of anti-osteoporotic drugs.

Research progress on protective effect of traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicine on methotrexate-induced liver toxicity / 中国中药杂志

Methotrexate(MTX) is a commonly used antimetabolite, which can be used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, hepatotoxicity in the use of MTX severely limits its clinical use. Therefore, how to prevent and treat hepatotoxicity of MTX has become an urgent clinical problem. This paper summarizes and analyzes relevant literatures on the prevention and treatment of hepa-totoxicity caused by MTX with traditional Chinese medicines and natural medicines in recent years. MTX-induced hepatotoxicity mechanisms include folate pathway, oxidative stress damage and adenosine pathway, of which oxidative stress theory is the main research direction. A total of 14 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicine extracts including white peony root, and 21 kinds of natural monomer compounds, including berberine, play an anti-MTX-induced hepatotoxic effect by resisting oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation and regulating signal pathways. According to current studies on the prevention and treatment of hepatotoxicity induced by MTX with traditional Chinese medicines and natural medicines, there are insufficiencies, such as partial and superficial mechanism studies, inadequate combination of experimental research and clinical practice, non-standard experimental design and lack of application of advanced technologies and methods. This paper systematically reviewed the effects and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines and natural medicines against hepatotoxicity induced by MTX and defined current studies and deficiencies, in the expectation of proposing new study strategies and directions and providing scientific basis for rational clinical use of MTX and development of new drugs against MTX hepatotoxicity.

Humulus lupulus L. Extract Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis in Mice and Regulates Activities of Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To systematically evaluate the protective effects of Humulus lupulus L. extract (HLE) on osteoporosis mice.@*METHODS@#In vivo experiment, a total of 35 12-week-old female ICR mice were equally divided into 5 groups: the sham control group (sham); the ovariectomy with vehicle group (OVX); the OVX with estradiol valerate [EV, 0.2 mg/(kg•d)] the OVX with low- or high-dose HLE groups [HLE, 1 g/(kg•d) and 3 g/(kg•d)], 7 in each group. Treatment began 1 week after the ovariectomized surgery and lasted for 12 weeks. Bone mass and trabecular bone mircoarchitecture were evaluated by micro computed tomography, and bone turnover markers in serum were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In vitro experiment, osteoblasts and osteoclasts were treated with HLE at doses of 0, 4, 20 and 100 µg/mL. Biomarkers for bone formation in osteoblasts and bone resorption in osteoclasts were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the OVX group, HLE exerted bone protective effects by the increase of estradiol (P<0.05), the improvement of cancellous bone structure, bone mineral density (P<0.01) and the reduction of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), bone gla-protein, c-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I) and deoxypyridinoline levels (P<0.01 for all). In vitro experiment, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL promoted the cell proliferation (P<0.01), and increased the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteopontin levels in osteoblasts (both P<0.05). HLE at 100 µg/mL increased the osteoblastic ALP activities, and HLE at all dose enhanced the extracellular matrix mineralization (both P<0.01). Furthermore, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL inhibited osteoclastic TRAP activity (P<0.01), and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cathepsin K (both P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#HLE may protect against bone loss, and have potentials in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Protective effect of bisoprolol against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells / 医学研究生学报

Objective　To observe the protective effect of bisoprolol against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells and explore the mechanism.　Methods　Left ventricular of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) were isolated from 8-week-old male C57BL/6N mice. CMECs were randomized into four groups: control group, vehicle group, hypoxia/reoxygenation group (H/R group), hypoxia/reoxygenation + bisoprolol group. The level of cell proliferation, apoptosis, superoxide anion, Cleaved caspase-3 and Nox2 expression were measured in each group.　Results　Compared with control group, H/R group had lower cell proliferation, higher apoptotic level, more superoxide anion level and the expression of Cleaved caspase-3 and Nox2 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, bisoprolol reversed hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced the decreased cell proliferation, the increased apoptosis, superoxide anion level, Cleaved caspase-3 and Nox2 expression (P < 0.05).　Conclusion　Bisoprolol can protect CMECs against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury by reducing the expression of Nox 2 that decreases oxidative stress.

Efficacy of Chinese Medicine Acupoint Application Combined with Montelukast on Children with Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy of Chinese medicine acupoint application (CMAA) combined with Western medicine for perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in children.@*METHODS@#In this prospective, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled and single-blind trial from August to September, 2017, 180 children with PAR were randomly assigned to an integrative group (CMAA and Montelukast), CMAA group (CMAA and placebo tablet), or Montelukast group (placebo CMAA and Montelukast). Participants were applied with CMAA for 6 sessions over 2 weeks, and/or Montelukast Chewable Tablet orally once daily for 12 weeks. The changes in severity of symptoms were measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and rhinitis control assessment test (RCAT) at 0, 2, 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Blood samples were collected for serum interleukin-4, interferon gamma γ and T helper type 1 (Th1)/Th2 flow cytometric analysis at the time points of 0, 4 and 12 weeks.@*RESULTS@#Eight cases dropped out from the trial, 3 in the integrative group, 2 in the CMAA group and 3 in the Montelukast group. The VAS scores decreased significantly while the RCAT scores increased significantly in all three groups at 4 and 12 weeks compared with baseline (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The VAS scores were significantly lower while the RCAT scores were significantly higher in the integrative and CMAA groups than the Montelukast group at 2 and 4 weeks (P<0.01 or P<0.05). At 2, 4 and 12 weeks, the scores of nasal congestion, sneezing, sleep problem, and rhinitis symptom control in the integrative and CMAA groups increased significantly compared with baseline (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The least percentages of Th2 and the most alleviated Th2 shift (highest Th1/Th2) were observed in the integrative group at 12 weeks compared with the other two groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The combination of CMAA with Montelukast might be more effective and appropriate than either option alone for children with PAR. (Registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Register, registration No. ChiCTR-IOR-17012434).

Rubus chingii Hu: an overview of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology / 中国天然药物

Rubus chingii Hu, a member of the rosaceae family, is extensively distributed in China and Japan. Its unripe fruits (Fupenzi in Chinese) have a long history of use as an herbal tonic in traditional Chinese medicine for treating various diseases commonly associated with kidney deficiency, and they are still in use today. Phytochemical investigations on the fruits and leaves of R. chingii indicate the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics, and organic acids. Extracts or active substances from this plant are reported to have various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antifungal, antithrombotic, antiosteoporotic, hypoglycemic, and central nervous system-regulating effects. This review provides up-to-date information on the botanical characterizations, traditional usages, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, toxicity, and quality control of R. chingii. Possible directions for future research are also briefly proposed. This review aims to supply fundamental data for the further study of R. chingii and contribute to the development of its clinical use.