Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental disorders in adults, the cause of which derives from a combination of genetics and environmental factors. A series of animal models have been established according to their pathogenesis to measure the level of anxiety or induce anxiety only, and these models have been widely applied in the non-clinical evaluation of anxiolytics. In this review, we present the current trends in the study of anxiety disorders and summarize typical non-clinical anxiety animal models, including models that both measure anxiety levels and induce anxiety, and models that induce anxiety only. This review summarizes the important issues in standardized non-clinical research of anxiety disorders and proposes criteria for the selection of an appropriate R & D model.

MYB transcription factors play many important regulatory roles in plant growth and development, secondary metabolism, and stress adaptation processes. In this work, an MYB gene containing a complete open reading frame (ORF) was selected from the transcriptome database of R. palmatum L. RpMYB4 ORF and cloned, encoding a polypeptide of 245 amino acids with a molecular weight of 26.99 kDa. RpMYB4 lacks a signal peptide or transmembrane domain but contains two conserved DNA binding domains (HTH-MYB) of the R2R3-MYB subfamily at the N-terminus. Multiple-sequence alignment demonstrated that RpMYB4 shared as high as 61% identity with many MYB proteins from other species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RpMYB4 had the closest relationship with FtMYB8 and was clustered in the S4 subfamily. Subcellular localization by confocal microscopy showed that an RpMYB4-GFP-fusion protein localized to the nucleus in tobacco. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analyses revealed that RpMYB4 was differentially expressed in various tissues, with the highest expression in leaves, followed by petioles, rhizome, and roots, and with the lowest level in mature seeds. After treatment of R. palmatum L. seedlings with 200 μmol·L^-1 MeJA, the expression of RpMYB4 in leaves was down-regulated within 24 h, and significantly up-regulated after 200 μmol·L^-1 SA treatment at 12 h and 24 h. However, gene expression did not change with 200 μmol·L^-1 ABA treatment. The transcripts of RpMYB4 under drought, high temperature, and mechanical injury stresses reached a peak at 24 h, 24 h, and at 3 h, respectively, while RpMYB4 expression was inhibited by low temperature stress, reaching its lowest value at 6 h. The gene showed no significant response to salt stress. Overall, RpMYB4 was cloned from R. palmatum L. for the first time, showed high expression in leaves, and was responsive to SA and various abiotic stress treatments including drought, high temperature, and mechanical injury. The results will be useful for further analysis of secondary metabolism and stress adaptations in R. palmatum L.

Bidehydrocorydaline A (1), a new dimeric alkaloid of proberberine connected by a methylenedioxy group, was isolated from the vinegar-prepared Corydalis yanhusuo by various chromatographic methods, including column chromatography over macroporous adsorption resin and silica gel, reverse-phase MPLC, and semi-preparative HPLC. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. Bidehydrocorydaline A (1) showed potent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with an IC₅₀ value of 2.33 ±0.57 μmol·L^-1.

This study investigated the effects of ginkgolide B on the long-chain fatty acid metabolism-related enzyme protein peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors α (PPARα), long-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD), carnitine palmitoyl transterase-1 (CPT-1), and acyl coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) expression in the liver of rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). All the animal welfare and experimental procedures are in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. After successfully building the rat model of non-alcoholic abnormal liver disease, the rats were divided into the model group, the simvastatin group, and the low-dose, middle-dose, and high-dose groups of ginkgolide B according to random number method, and were given corresponding drug treatment 4 weeks. We detected liver pathological indicators and determined blood lipids, transaminase and anti-oxidation indexes. Western blot and RT-PCR assays were used to detect the protein and mRNA levels of PPARα, LCAD, CPT-1, and ACOX1 in livers. The results showed that: ① the liver histopathology showed that the liver slices of the model group had obvious structural disorder, the nucleus was squeezed, and there were obvious fat vacuoles. The treatment groups improved significantly compared with the model group; ② compared with the normal group, the liver function and blood lipid indexes of the model group increased significantly, while the anti-oxidation indexes decreased significantly. Compared with the model group, each treatment groups were significantly improved; ③ compared with the normal group, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARα, ACOX1, CPT-1, and LCAD in the model group were significantly reduced, compared with the model group, those indexes in the treatment groups were significantly up-regulated. This study found that ginkgolide B could regulate the expression of long-chain fatty acid metabolism-related proteins PPARα, ACOX1, CPT-1, and LCAD, meanwhile improve the body's antioxidant capacity, thereby reduce blood lipids, further improve liver function and protect the liver.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of herbal-induced liver injury due to the accidental ingestion of herbal medicines containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in domestic. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a hydrophilic component in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., shows activities of anticoagulation, antioxidation, and other pharmacological activities. This research aims to investigate the protective effect of Sal B on hepatotoxicity induced by senecionine (SEN) and its potential mechanism. The animal experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethical Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and all mice have received humane care in compliance with the institutional animal care guidelines. Mice were treated with Sal B (10 mg·kg^-1) 3 days before and 1 day after SEN (50 mg·kg^-1) treatment. The animals were sacrificed 48 h after SEN administration. As a result, Sal B effectively ameliorated SEN-induced liver injury. The mice in the group treated with Sal B showed lower serum activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, less hepatic sinusoidal hemorrhage, and reduced hepatocyte necrosis. Besides, contents of pyrrole-protein adducts, the marker for PA-induced toxicity, were also decreased in serum. The key factors related to coagulation, oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis were further analyzed. It was found that Sal B inhibited the coagulant system by reducing the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Sal B also modulated glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels and improved the anti-oxidative defense system. In addition, Sal B decreased the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix and inhibited the progression of liver fibrosis via down-regulating several key factors related to liver fibrosis, including matrix metalloproteinase 9, transforming growth factor-β1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and chemokine 1. In conclusion, Sal B ameliorated SEN-induced liver injury in mice by regulating the blood coagulation system, improving oxidative stress, and modulating liver fibrosis-related factors. Our present study pointed to the possibility of utilizing salvianolic acid B for protection against PA-induced liver injury clinically.

In the past few decades, our understanding of platelets has made great progress. Platelets play an unexpected central role in cancer and greatly affect the behavior of cancer cells. At the same time, the physiology and phenotype of platelets are also affected by cancer cells. Therefore, platelet-based tumor targeted therapy strategies have attracted the attention of researchers, but the limitations of their application require more attention. In this paper, the strategies of platelet-based tumor targeted therapy are summarized, and the strategies of platelet mimicking nanocarrier delivery, platelet hitch riding, platelet membrane coating biomimetic and engineered platelet targeting are mainly introduced. The easy activation, hard storage and unknown functional and phenotypic changes of platelets were discussed. At the same time, the strategy of platelet-based targeted tumor therapy is reviewed from theoretical basis and practical application. The development potential of platelets in the field of tumor diagnosis and treatment is discussed, which will provide some theoretical reference for the study of platelet-related tumor diagnosis and targeted therapy.

In recent years, with the improvement in living standards, the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases has increased markedly. Atherosclerosis is the main pathological basis for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and there are many risk factors for atherosclerosis. The pharmacological effects of puerarin are broad, and considerable clinical data confirms that puerarin has a definite effect on cardiovascular diseases resulting from atherosclerosis. The use of puerarin for atherosclerosis has increased in recent years. This article reviews the effect and mechanism of puerarin on atherosclerosis.

Malignant tumors seriously endanger human life and health, and their treatment has always been a research focus of scientists all over the world. Natural flavonoids and their derivatives have a variety of biological activities, especially regarding antitumor growth, with unique biological activities. They can interfere with the growth cycle of tumor cells, change the mitochondrial membrane potential, promote apoptosis, and can reduce the immune escape of tumor cells and prevent tumor metastasis by improving human immunity. In the human body, they regulate the biological signal transduction, leading to the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein expression. They inhibit the growth of solid tumors by regulating the growth of vascular epithelial cells and blocking the formation of blood vessels in tumor tissue. Recent studies have shown that these compounds can play an important role in the treatment of various human tumors and are expected to be developed into new antitumor drugs. This review summarizes the recent research results on the antitumor mechanism of flavonoids and their ability to inhibit tumor growth.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions, which is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Drug treatment is still the main method for the disease. Although remarkable progress has been made in the development of antiepileptic drugs in recent years, there is still a poor curative effect on patients with refractory epilepsy. This review will focus on the current status and pathogenesis of epilepsy, as well as the antiepileptic drugs (targeting sodium channels, calcium channels, potassium channels, and the balance of γ-aminobuyric acid/glutamate system, respectively) that have been developed based on classical epileptogenic mechanisms. Further the antiepileptic drugs acting on new targets (epigenetic interferers, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A modulators, mammalian target of rapamycin signal pathway blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, cannabidiol and adenosine inhibitors) have also been discussed.

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are widely distributed in Aristolochiaceae, and are important toxic components in medicinal plants of Aristolochiaceae. As one of the most powerful carcinogens in the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB), AAs can induce hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and other adverse reaction. AAs also can produce a series of metabolites such as AA-DNA adducts in the body, and their specific metabolites can be used as biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment of related diseases. Thus, the current discovery for technical means that can quickly and accurately detect biomarkers possesses significant research value. AAs can be attenuated by processing, compatibility, molecular breeding, and other methods to improve the clinical safety of Chinese medicine containing AAs. In this review, we report the distribution of AAs, attenuation strategies and biomarker detection. We would like to provide a reference for the quality control of AAs-containing Chinese medicines, as well as for the prevention and control of diseases caused by AAs.