This study was designed to compare intestinal bacteria and inflammatory cytokine expression in rats with ulcerative colitis (UC) after treatment of three regiments, Huang-qin-tang (HQT), Si-shen-wan (SSW), and Tong-xie-yao-fang (TXYF). After approved by Institute of Chinese Materia Medica Ethics Committees in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, UC in rats was induced by using a compound method (trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid plus ethanol). Rats were randomly divided into control, disease, positive control salazosulfapyridine (SASP, 0.5 g·kg^-1), HQT (20 g·kg^-1), SSW (26 g·kg^-1), and TXYF groups (22 g·kg^-1). After 7 days of treatment, colonic tissues and the blood were taken for various assays. Damage of colonic tissues was detected by H & E staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) in the serum were detected by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Total DNA was extracted from stool samples for analyses of 16SMiseqPE300V3-4 segment using high-throughput sequencing. The inflammatory cytokine results showed that compared with the disease group, the content of IL-6, PGE₂, TNF-α in SASP group were decreased (P < 0.05), with the most significant decrease being the level of IL-8 (P < 0.01), whereas the levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in HQT group were reduced (P < 0.05) and PGE₂ content was clearly reduced (P < 0.01). The contents of four cytokines in SSW group were decreased, but there was no statistical difference. While the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in TXYF group were reduced, and the reductions of IL-8 and PGE₂ were significant (P < 0.05). The results after sequencing showed that microbiome species richness SSW group > HQT group > TXYF group; the similarity between samples TXYF group > SSW group > HQT group; the species of HQT and TXYF group have greater difference when compared to the disease group. The content of beneficial bacteria in the intestine of HQT group > SSW group > TXYF group. Three regiments all have therapeutic effects on UC, manifested by improvements of the signs and mental status of UC rats. However, in terms of inhibition of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, PGE₂ and TNF-α, and regulation of intestinal microbiome, the therapeutic effect of HQT was superior than SSW and TXYF.

CY-1-4 is a tryptanthrin derivative exhibiting antitumor activity. The solubility of CY-1-4 was poor and the corresponding mechanism needs further study. To solve this problem, we prepared nanoparticles encapsulated with CY-1-4 (CY-1-4 NPs) by nanoprecipitation method using poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-PCL) as carriers to improve solubility. We then explored whether CY-1-4 NPs induced B16-F10 cytotoxicity via ferroptosis by determining the effect of CY-1-4 NPs on reactive oxygen (ROS) levels, repairing efficacy of lipid reactive oxygen inhibitor ferrostatin-1 and iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO), and potentiation of protoporphyrin (PPIX) induced B16-F10 cell death. The results showed that nanoparticlated strategy significantly improved solubility of CY-1-4. With the particle size about 116 nm, encapsulating efficacy was about 83% and the drug loading capacity was about 4.80%. Ferroptosis mechanistic studies indicated that CY-1-4 NPs could improve the ROS level in B16-F10 cells, whereas ferrostatin-1 and DFO could partly inhibited the cytotoxicity and PPIX could potentiated the cytotoxicity of CY-1-4 NPs in B16-F10 cells. These results showed that ferroptosis was one of the cell death mechanisms induced by tryptanthrin derivative CY-1-4 nanoparticle.

To establish a quality evaluation method for Astragali Radix using polysaccharide as quality control index, we established the Astragalus polysaccharide and monosaccharide sugar spectra, and combined with immunological activity test. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to establish the specific chromatograms of Astragalus polysaccharides and monosaccharides. The data were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis and cluster analysis using SIMCA software and SPSS software to distinguish Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus from different habitats or planting methods. The activity was evaluated by testing mouse peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis using neutral red. The results showed that the content of polysaccharides and the ability of enhancing phagocytic activity of macrophages from imitation wild Astragali Radix in Shanxi Hunyuan was higher than cultured Astragali Radix. The polysaccharides of Astragali Radix from Shanxi Hunyuan, Shanxi Wuzhai and Gansu Longxi have similar molecular weight distribution, but the peak area of each part has a significant difference in the percentage of the total peak area. The part of the polysaccharide of Shanxi Astragalus membranaceus with a molecular weight of about 10 kDa is higher than that of Gansu. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows that Astragali Radix from Shanxi and Gansu can be separated. All three are composed of five monosaccharides such as rhamnose, glucose, galactose, arabinose and galacturonic acid. However, the Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) in the three regions have different ratios of monosaccharide substances. The PCA display can distinguish three different Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. This study used a combination of fingerprint of carbohydrates and the effects of APS on cellular immune function to provide a basis for quality evaluation and quality control of different habitats or planting methods.

Microspheres based on polylactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA) copolymer have unique advantages in pulmonary controlled drug delivery. However, the clearance mechanism dominated by lung macrophage phagocytosis greatly limits the long-term retention of drugs in the deep lung. In order to avoid the scavenging effect of lung macrophages, the PLGA microspheres coated by polyethylene glycol-distearoyl-glycero-phosphoethanolamine (PEG-DSPE) was designed in this study, and the effect of chain length of PEG-DSPE and its ratio on the macrophage uptake was investigated. With coumarin 6 as a fluorescent probe, the coumarin 6-loaded PLGA microspheres was prepared by premix membrane emulsification/solvent evaporation. The particle size was controlled to 3-5 μm and the encapsulation efficiency was over 90%. After incubation in the cell culture fluid for 48 h, the in vitro leakage of fluorescein from the microspheres was less than 1.5%, eliminating the interference of free fluorescein on the cellular uptake. Murine macrophages RAW264.7 cell line was selected for the in vitro cell study. The preparations showed little toxicity to cells in the cytotoxicity study. Results of the macrophage uptake study showed that PEG₅₀₀₀-DSPE and PEG₁₀₀₀₀-DSPE coated groups with both high and low proportions (PEG-DSPE/PLGA 1:1, 0.25:1) could significantly reduce the phagocytosis of macrophages to microspheres compared with the uncoated PLGA group. For PEG₂₀₀₀-DSPE coated microspheres, the effect of escaping macrophage phagocytosis could be achieved by increasing the ratio of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the surface of particles. Overall, the chain length of PEG-DSPE and its ratio are the key factors affecting the macrophage uptake. In pulmonary controlled drug delivery, high molecular weight of PEG-DSPE (PEG₅₀₀₀-DSPE and PEG₁₀₀₀₀-DSPE) and the high ratio (PEG-DSPE/PLGA 1:1) of PEG₂₀₀₀-DSPE can be selected to escape the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages and prolong the drug retention in the lungs.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), as a label-free imaging technique with high coverage and sensitivity is widely used for visualizing the spatial distribution of proteins, peptides and small metabolites in tissues. With the development of MALDI technique, MALDI-MSI is also employed to monitor the spatial distribution of phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants. In this review, we first briefly introduce MALDI-MSI technique, and we focus on its application in the spatial distribution and accumulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. The ultimate advantage of using MALDI-MSI for spatial distribution analysis at the molecular level, offers crucial evidence of synthesis, transfer and accumulation of bioactive molecules in medicinal plants.

Using column chromatographic and preparative HPLC technologies, we isolated a new sesquiterpene glycoside from the stem of Dendrobium nobile. With spectroscopic techniques including NMR and MS, the new compound was identified as cadalene-12-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. This type of compound was dehydrogenated from cadinane sesquiterpene to achieve a naphthalene ring, and it is rare from a natural resource.

In this study, we accurately collected the embryonic parenchyma cells and endocarp stone cells of Arctii Fructus at five different growth stages by laser microdissection. Quantitative analyse of caffeic acid, arctiin and arctigenin in these cells were performed using ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS). The results showed that a large amount of arctiin was produced and accumulated in embryonic parenchyma cells from the late flowering stage to mature stage, while much lower content of arctiin was produced and accumulated in endocarp stone cells at these stages. It suggested that the biosynthetic pathways of arctiin were different in embryonic parenchyma cells from endocarp stone cells of Arctii Fructus. Arctigenin was found to be produced and accumulated in both embryonic parenchyma cells and in endocarp stone cells from the late flowering stage to mature stage, but it reached a peak in endocarp stone cells at late flowering stage, then decreased slowly. The concentration of arctigenin was far less than that of arctiin regardless of embryonic parenchyma cells or endocarp stone cells. These results have validated the new method for analysis of dynamic accumulation of arctiin in Arctii Fructus by UFLC-MS/MS with frozen sections and microdissection.

The number of clinical trials for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) products ranked the top among all stem cell products, with more than 900 trials ongoing or completed by 2018. In China, many MSC clinical trials have started as "the third type of medical technique" and the dossiers of MSC products have been submitted to National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The biological function and therapeutic effect of MSCs are constantly being recognized in scientific communities. However, the observed functions of MSCs in vitro are not fully reproduced in the living microenvironment in vivo. There are substantial variations among tissue origins, cellular phenotypes and biological functions. Different formulations, delivery methods, manufacture processes or doses all greatly affect the clinical efficacy. It is difficult for MSCs to maintain the naive state due to the differences between in vitro culture conditions and in vivo microenvironment. Meanwhile, there is no widely accepted scientific definition for MSCs until now, due to the complexity of manufacturing process and variable sources. Consequently, the regulation of MSC products is a challenge for drug administrative agencies. In this article, we review the research progress of MSC products around the world, and summarize the considerations in evaluating the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) section of MSC product applications, with respect to raw materials, manufacture processes and quality control. We hope that the information summarized here will provide insights for the development and evaluation of MSC products.

As the primary innate immune cells in the central nervous system, microglia can be activated by external noxious stimulus and in turn interact with astroglia and neurons to induce neuroinflammation and facilitate the transmission of pain signals. This response can help the central nervous system adapt to the changes of the internal environment induced by noxious stimulus, leading to the long-term sensitivity of peripheral and central pain nerve conduction pathways and chronic neuropathic pain. Numerous researches found that activation of microglia participated in the occurrence and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain, and inhibition of microglial activation in the spinal cord or the brain had analgesic effect in animal experiments. Due to the fact that molecular and cellular mechanisms between the activation of microglia and pain remittence are unclear, there are many difficulties in designing of new drugs selectively targeting to the activation of microglia for treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. We review here the research articles on microglia and chronic neuropathic pain, sorting out the relationship between microglia and chronic neuropathic pain, and provide new ideas for the development of new drugs targeting to microglia for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.

In rodents, bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) results in a series of changes in behaviors and neurobiology, similar to the clinical symptoms of depression in patients. These changes can be reversed by chronic but not acute treatment of antidepressants. Owing to the face, construct and predictive validities, the OBX model has been used to investigate the mechanisms of depression, screen for antidepressants, and reveal the mechanism of drug action. In addition, there are certain features in OBX animals resembling those of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including the impaired learning and memory ability and the accumulation of amyloid-β protein (Aβ). In this review, we present the association between olfaction and depression or AD, the surgical procedure of OBX, the behavioral features of OBX animals, the abnormal changes in cortex and hippocampus, and the application of this model for studying depression and AD. These lines of information are important for the development of antidepressant and anti-dementia drugs using this model.