Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of five bioactive components in the Corydalis yanhusuo total alkaloids transdermal patch following Shenque acupoint application in rats assessed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of the Corydalis yanhusuo total alkaloids transdermal patch (CTTP) following Shenque acupoint application in rats. The concentrations of corydaline, tetrahydropalmatine, tetrahydrocolumbamine, protopine, and dehydrocorydaline in rat plasma and various tissues were simultaneously detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after Shenque acupoint administration of CTTP. Plasma, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissue samples were collected at specific times and separated by gradient elution on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column (1.8 µm, 100 mm × 2.1 mm) with a mobile phase of 0.01% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile-0.01% formic acid. The methodological results showed that the selectivity, linear range, accuracy, precision, stability, matrix effect, and extraction recovery of the established method met the requirements of biological sample analysis. The results indicated that CTTP following Shenque acupoint administration rapidly delivered adequate drug into rat blood and maintained an effective plasma level for a significantly longer time than non-acupoint administration. Furthermore, CTTP effectively reached the liver through Shenque acupoint administration and showed tissue selectivity. The data obtained could provide a prospect for the treatment of chronic pain with CTTP following Shenque acupoint application.

Characterization of diterpene metabolism in rats with ingestion of seed products from Euphorbia lathyris L. (Semen Euphorbiae and Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum) using UHPLC-Q-Exactive MS.

Previous pharmacological studies have indicated that diterpenoids are the primary effective chemical cluster in the seeds of Euphorbia lathyris L. The seed products are used in traditional Chinese medicine in the forms of Semen Euphorbiae (SE) and Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum (SEP). However, the metabolism of the plant's diterpenoids has not been well elucidated, which means that the in vivo metabolite products have not been identified. The current study screened the physiological metabolites of six diterpenes [Euphorbia factor L1 (L1), L2 (L2), L3 (L3), L7a (L7a), L7b (L7b), and L8 (L8)] in feces and urine of rats after oral administration of SE and SEP using UHPLC-Q-Exactive MS. A total of 22 metabolites were detected in feces and 8 in urine, indicating that the major elimination route of diterpenoids is via the colon. Hydrolysis, methylation, and glucuronidation served as the primary metabolic pathways of these diterpenoids. In sum, this study contributed to the elucidation of new metabolites and metabolic pathways of SE and SEP, and the new chemical identities can be used to guide further pharmacokinetic studies.

An integrated fecal microbiome and metabolome in rats reveal variations in gut microbiota and fecal metabolic phenotype of Semen Euphorbiae and Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum.

Semen Euphorbiae (SE) is a toxic traditional Chinese medicine made from the dry or mature seed of Euphorbia lathyris L. Research demonstrates that the toxic side-effects from eating SE are associated with intestinal disturbance. By processing to produce Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum (SEP), the toxicity is reduced, and diarrhea is attenuated. However, there are minimal studies on the differential effects between SE and SEP on microbiota and fecal metabolites. In this study, 16S rDNA sequencing and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS were interpreted with PCA and OPLS-DA multivariate analysis to understand the effect of SE and SEP on the gut microbiota and fecal metabolic phenotype in rats. Compared to the blank control group, the results showed that both SE and SEP were associated with increased microbes from the phylum Firmicutes and decreased Bacteroidetes, but the change was not as strong in the SEP administration group. Meanwhile, the fecal metabolism of rats also changed significantly, since 17 additional metabolites were detected in both groups, including amino acid metabolites, bacterial metabolites, and lipid metabolites. Our results indicate that the SEP administration group may reduce toxicity by differentially influencing intestinal metabolites and flora.

Construction of magnetic drug delivery system and its potential application in tumor theranostics.

Magnetic nanoparticles(NPs) are characterized by a rich variety of properties. Because of their excellent physical and chemical properties, they have come to the fore in biomedicine and other fields. The magnetic NPs were extensively studied in magnetic separation of cells, targeted drug delivery, tumor hyperthermia, chemo-photothermal therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other biomedical fields. Magnetic NPs are increasingly used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on their inherent magnetic targeting, superparamagnetic enzyme-like catalytic properties and nanoscale size. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a promising biodegradable material approved by FDA and EU for drug delivery. Currently, PLGA-based magnetic nano-drug delivery systems have attracted the attention of researchers. Herein, we achieved the effective encapsulation of sized-controlled polyethylene glycol-3,4-dihydroxy benzyl-amine-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO NPs) and euphorbiasteroid into PLGA nanospheres via a modified multiple emulsion solvent evaporation method (W1/O2/W2). NPs with narrow size distribution and acceptable magnetic properties were developed that are very useful for applications involving cancer therapy and MRI. Furthermore, SPIO-PLGA NPs enhanced the MRI T2 relaxation properties of tumor sites.The prepared SPIO NPs and magnetic PLGA nanospheres can be promising magnetic drug delivery systems for tumor theranostics. This study has successfully constructed a tumor-targeting and magnetic-targeting smart nanocarrier with enhanced permeability and retention, multimodal anti-cancer therapeutics and biodegradability, which could be a hopeful candidate for anti-tumor therapy in the future.

A decay study of 70As.

The excited states of the 70Ge nucleus in radioactive decay of 70As were investigated. Four new transitions with 1036.99, 1196.66, 1539.29 and 2531.7 keV have been found. The placement of 2219.34 keV transition has been reassigned, three gamma-rays with 496.74, 1295.24 and 1417.24 keV have been placed in the decay scheme for the first time, and the placements of 1881.67, 2325.42 and 2424.41 keV gamma-rays are confirmed in the present work. Two new levels at 4243.10 and 5265.81 keV excitation energy, respectively, are proposed. The level scheme was established and for a number of levels spin-parity assignments are suggested on the basis of log ft values and gamma-branching ratios.