[Exploration on origin of Simiao Yong'an Decoction].

Simiao Yong'an Decoction is composed of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Scrophulariae Radix, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome, which was chosen as one of the 100 classic prescriptions in Catalogue of Ancient Classics Prescription(the first batch). Through tracing to the source, It was found that the Simiao Yong'an Decoction(but not named) originated from the Shi Shi Mi Lu, and was later cited by books such as Ancient and Modern Book Integration-Full Record of Medical Department and New Edition of Useful Prescriptions. Literature shows that this prescription was not named until first reported in the Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Arterial Embolism Gangrene in 1956 by a journalist LYU Min. This article recorded that SHIJIA Baoshan, a monk from Hebei Province, used self-named "Simiao Yong'an Decoction" to treat local arterial embolic gangrene. After comparison, there was two difference between ancient books and SHIJIA Baoshan's records. Firstly, according to ancient books, the composition and dosage of Simiao Yong'an Decoction is Lonicerae Japonicae Flos 90 g, Scrophulariae Radix 90 g, Angelicae Sinensis Radix 60 g, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome 30 g", and the ratio is 3∶3∶2∶1. By SHIJIA Baoshan's record, the composition and dosage are: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos 66 g, Scrophulariae Radix 132 g, Angelicae Sinensis Radix 99 g, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome 33 g, and the ratio changed to 2∶4∶3∶1. Secondly, ancient books show that patients can be healed after taking seven or ten days of the previous prescription, however, it would take 3 or 4 months, even 7 months in SHIJIA Baoshan's records. It can be considered that the previous prescription should be used at the beginning of gangrene, while the modified Simiao Yong'an Decoction by SHIJIA Baoshan is widely used in the middle and late stages of gangrene, even the critical condition, that is the reason for longer treatment and larger dosage. Nowadays, Simiao Yong'an Decoction is not limited to the treatment of gangrene and bulla in clinic. Relevant studies have confirmed that Simiao Yong'an Decoction has the effects such as anti-inflammatory, plaque stabilization, lipid-lowering, vascular protection, improvement of hemorheology, anticoagulation, inhibition of thrombosis and fibrinolysis, etc. In the follow-up, we should carry out the analysis of the compatibility of this four medicines, and redefine the scope of its clinical application under the theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

Treatment with Rhizoma Dioscoreae extract has protective effect on osteopenia in ovariectomized rats.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the osteoprotective effect of aqueous extract from Rhizoma Dioscoreae (RDE) on rats with ovariectomy- (OVX-) induced osteopenia. Our results show that RDE could inhibit bone loss of OVX rats after a 12-week treatment. The microarray analysis showed that 68 genes were upregulated and that 100 genes were downregulated in femurs of the RDE group rats compared to those in the OVX group. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) showed that several downregulated genes had the potential to code for proteins that were involved in the Wnt/ ß -catenin signaling pathway (Sost, Lrp6, Tcf7l2, and Alpl) and the RANKL/RANK signaling pathway (Map2k6 and Nfatc4). These results revealed that the mechanism for an antiosteopenic effect of RDE might lie in the synchronous inhibitory effects on both the bone formation and the bone resorption, which is associated with modulating the Wnt/ ß -catenin signaling and the RANKL/RANK signaling.

Therapeutic Effects of Cortex acanthopanacis Aqueous Extract on Bone Metabolism of Ovariectomized Rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of aqueous extract from Cortex acanthopanacis (CAE) on osteoporosis rats induced by ovariectomy (OVX) using aqueous extract from Folium Epimedii (FEE) as positive control agent. Three-month-old female rats that underwent OVX were treated with CAE. After 12 weeks, bone mineral density (BMD) and indices of bone histomorphometry of tibia were measured. Levels of protein and mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) in tibia were evaluated. In addition, the serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), calcitonin (CT), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were determined. Administration of CAE significantly prevented OVX-induced rats from gain of the body weight. Treatment with CAE increased bone mass remarkably and showed a significant inhibitory effect on bone resorption by downregulating significantly the expression of RANKL in tibia of OVX rats. Meanwhile, treatment of CAE significantly reduced serum level of IL-1ß and increased level of CT in OVX rats. This suggests that CAE has the potential to be used as an alternative therapeutic agent for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Therapeutic effects of radix dipsaci, pyrola herb, and Cynomorium songaricum on bone metabolism of ovariectomized rats.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of herbal medicines, such as Radix Dipsaci (RDD), Pyrola Herb (PHD), and Cynomorium songaricum decoction (CSD), on osteoporotic rats induced by ovariectomy (OVX). METHODS: OVX or sham operations were performed on 69 virgin Wistar rats that were divided into six groups: sham (sham, n = 12), OVX control group (OVX, n = 12), and OVX rats with treatments (diethylstilbestrol, E2, n = 12; RDD, n = 11, PHD, n = 11, and CSD, n = 11). Non-surgical rats served as normal control (NC, n = 12). The treatments began four weeks after surgery and lasted for 12 weeks. Bone mass and bone turnover were analyzed by histomorphometry. Levels of protein expression and mRNA of OPG and RANKL in osteoblasts (OB) and bone marrow stromal cells (bMSC) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Compared to NC and sham rats, trabecular bone formation was significantly reduced in OVX rats, but restored in E2-treated rats. Treatment with either RDD or PHD enhanced trabecular bone formation remarkably. No significant change of bone formation was observed in CSD-treated rats. OPG expression of protein and mRNA was reduced significantly in OB and bMSC of OVX control rats. RANKL expression of protein and mRNA was increased significantly in OB and bMSC of OVX control rats. These effects were substantially reversed (increased in OPG and decreased in RANKL) by treatment with E2, RDD, or PHD in OB and bMSC of OVX rats. No significant changes in either OPG or RANKL expression were observed in OB and bMSC of OVX rats treated with CSD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that RDD and PHD increased bone formation by stimulating overexpression of OPG and downregulation of RANKL in OB and bMSC. This suggests that RDD and PHD may be used as alternative therapeutic agents for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Recycling sustainability of waste paper industry in Beijing City: An analysis based on value chain and GIS model.

China established a self-organized and market-driven recycling system, which was dominated by the informal sectors. In recent years, the amount of domestically-recycled waste paper grew slower than expectation in China, which may be resulted from a decline in economic sustainability of current recycling system. For understanding the waste paper recycling system in most cities in China, the economic mechanism remains unclear and the city-level data is extremely insufficient. In this work, an index of recycling sustainability (IRS, benefit divided by cost) is analyzed with a resolution of 1 km2 grid in Beijing City, by adopting value chain and GIS methodology. Five degrees of IRS are defined, from high-degree (IRS > 1.10) to low-degree (IRS < 0.95). Different stakeholders in the informal waste paper recycling system were interviewed to fill the data gap. Results show that: (1) from 2015 to 2018, the informal recycling of waste paper accounted for approximate 80% in Beijing; (2) the number of informal recyclables distribution sites decreased from 27 to 11, and their average distance to the city-center rose from 27.5 km to 40.9 km; (3) in 2015 and 2018, the grids with high-degree IRS accounted for 99.5% and 89.2%, respectively, indicating a sustainable waste paper recycling industry in Beijing; and (4) according to the scenario analysis, if the operating cost rises by 30%, the grids with low-degree IRS accounts for 98.5%, indicating a nontrivial challenges when the recycling cost keeps increasing in the future. Policy recommendations are put forward for a more sustainable paper waste recycling system in China.

Education, Altitude, and Humidity Can Interactively Explain Spatial Discrepancy and Predict Short Stature in 213,795 Chinese School Children.

Backgrounds and Objectives: The north-south height distinctions in Chinese children suggest that some geographical-climatic factors could determine height variation of short stature. In a national health survey, we aimed to explore the spatial distribution of short stature on city scales, and detect its socio-economic and geographical-climatic factors. Methods: Data on the prevalence of short stature were obtained from a 2014 cross-sectional survey of China (CNSSCH). In total, 213,795 Han Chinese students aged 7-18 years, from 106 cities across 30 provinces, were included. Both China and World Health Organization (WHO) growth references were adopted to define short stature. Results: A spatial clustering was apparent in the distribution of short stature. After multivariable adjustment, altitude and humidity significantly increased the risk of high prevalence in short stature, according to the WHO (odds ratio [OR] = 1.61 and 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-2.17 and 1.03-1.54) and China (OR = 1.54 and 1.26; 95% CI: 1.15-2.05 and 1.02-1.55) growth references. Additionally, education significantly decreased the risk of high prevalence in short stature according to the WHO (OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.22-0.74) and China (OR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.22-0.77) growth references. Combining both altitude >400 m and education <9 years, as well as education <9 years and humidity >70%, received the largest effect-size estimate, and significance retained after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that high altitude and humidity increased the risk of high prevalence in short stature, high education was associated with low prevalence. Additionally, we observed possible interactions between education and altitude/humidity. They may interactively explain spatial discrepancy and predict short stature in Chinese school children. Further validations are necessary.

The protective effect of Rhizoma Dioscoreae extract against alveolar bone loss in ovariectomized rats via regulating Wnt and p38 MAPK signaling.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteoprotective effect of aqueous Rhizoma Dioscoreae extract (RDE) on the alveolar bone of rats with ovariectomy-induced bone loss. METHODS: Female Wistar rats were subjected to either ovariectomy or a sham operation (SHAM). The ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated with vehicle (OVX) or RDE by oral gavage or with 17ß-estradiol (E2) subcutaneously. After treatments, the bone mineral density (BMD), the three-dimensional bone architecture of the alveolar bone and the plasma biomarkers of bone turnover were analyzed to assess bone metabolism, and the histomorphometry of the alveolar bone was observed. Microarrays were used to evaluate gene expression profiles in alveolar bone from RDE-treated and OVX rats. The differential expression of genes was further analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). The key findings were verified using real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Our results showed that RDE inhibited alveolar bone loss in OVX rats. Compared to the OVX rats, the RDE-treated rats showed upregulated expression levels of 207 genes and downregulated expression levels of 176 genes in the alveolar bone. The IPA showed that several genes had the potential to code for proteins that were involved in the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway (Wnt7a, Fzd2, Tcf3, Spp1, Frzb, Sfrp2 and Sfrp4) and the p38 MAPK signaling pathway (Il1rn and Mapk14). CONCLUSION: These experiments revealed that RDE could inhibit ovariectomy-induced alveolar bone loss in rats. The mechanism of this anti-osteopenic effect in alveolar bone may be involved in the reduced abnormal bone remodeling, which is associated with the modulation of the Wnt/ß-catenin and the p38 MAPK signaling pathways via gene regulation.

Therapeutic effect of aqueous extract from Ecliptae herba on bone metabolism of ovariectomized rats.

OBJECTIVE: Ecliptae herba (EH) has long been used in China to strengthen bones. Accumulating evidence indicates that EH may have antiosteoporotic effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of aqueous EH extract (EHE) on rats that had osteoporosis-like features induced by ovariectomy, using aqueous Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract as positive control agent. METHODS: Three-month-old female rats that underwent ovariectomy were treated with EHE (1.4 g/kg per day). After 12 weeks, bone mineral density and bone histomorphometric indices of tibiae were measured. Protein and messenger RNA expressions of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor κ-B ligand (RANKL) in tibiae were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. In addition, serum concentrations of osteocalcin, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6 (IL-6), calcitonin (CT), and parathyroid hormone were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: EHE treatment prevented body weight gain and loss of uterine wet weight in ovariectomized rats. It remarkably increased bone mass in ovariectomized rats compared with ovariectomized controls. EHE treatment significantly down-regulated RANKL expression in tibiae from ovariectomized rats compared with controls; however, it had no significant effect on osteoprotegerin expression. In addition, EHE treatment significantly reduced serum IL-6 levels and remarkably increased CT levels but had no effect on parathyroid hormone. CONCLUSIONS: EHE increases bone mass in ovariectomized rats by inhibiting bone loss: down-regulated RANKL expression in tibiae and IL-6 level in serum, and up-regulated CT level in serum. This suggests that EHE may be developed as an alternative therapeutic agent for osteoporosis induced by postmenopause.