Latest ArticlesChuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata)has become a commonly used medicinal plant in China,with the efficacy of clearing heatand removing toxins,cooling blood,eliminating swelling and drying dampness,playing a pivotal role in clinical application. Its chemical compositionmainly includes lactones,flavonoids,phenylpropanoids and other components,with antipyretic,antibacterial,antiviral,antitumor,regulating immunity,improving the cardiovascular system and other pharmacological effects,and is commonly used in the clinic for the treatment of a variety of infectious diseases,tumors as well as thrombotic occlusive vasculitis and so on. The article summarized the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Chuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata)in a systematic and comprehensive way,and based on this,it introduced the concept of “quality markers” in traditional Chinese medicine,and carried out the prediction and analysis of the quality markers of Chuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata)from the aspects of phytopharmacology and chemical composition uniqueness,chemical composition and traditional medicinal properties,chemical composition and traditional efficacy,chemical composition measurability,different compounding environments,and transmission and traceability of chemical compositions. The results revealed that diterpene lactone,flavonoids and alkaloids can be used as candidate species of the quality markers of Chuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata). It was initially hypothesized that andrographolide,deoxyandrographolide,dehydroandrographolide,neoandrographolide,panicoin,luteolin and apigenin can be used as candidate compounds of the quality markers of Chuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata),which can lay the foundation of the establishment of the perfect quality evaluation system of Chuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata)aswell as provide guidance to guarantee the quality of Chuanxinlian(Andrographis paniculata)in the hope of letting the chemical and pharmacological researches serve better to the clinic.
Huangqi(Astragali Radix)is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb thathas originated for thousands of years. Modern pharmaceutical research has confirmed that Huangqi(Astragali Radix)is rich in components,such as saponins and polysaccharides,among which Astragaloside Ⅳ and Astragalus polysaccharides are themain active ingredients that produce pharmacological effects. Modernmedical research has shown that Huangqi(Astragali Radix)can improve the progression of pulmonary fibrosis,combat renal interstitial fibrosis and reduce the severity of liver and myocardial fibrosis. This article provided a comprehensive review of the anti fibrotic function of Huangqi(Astragali Radix)based on the signaling pathway TGF-β/Smad(transforming growth factor-β/recombinantmothers against decapentaplegic),delving into the characteristics of itsmain components,further enriching its pharmacological activitymechanism and providing a theoreticalbasis for the efficacy of traditional Chinese and Wes ternmedicine in clinical practice.
Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the serious complications of diabetes. As a new type of programmed cell death,pyroptosis plays an important role in the development of DKD,which is mediated by the Gasdermin(GSDM)family and is accompanied by the release of a large number of inflammatory factors and chemokines,resulting in a series of inflammatory and immune responses,so regulating pyroptosis is of great significance in the treatment of DKD. Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)can regulate pyroptosis throughmultiple pathways and multiple targets,which has significantadvantages in the treatment of DKD. It has been found that TCM treatment of DKD by pyroptosis pathway is mainly based on TCM compounds,supplemented by TCM monomers. This article focused on the molecular mechanism of pyroptosis,reviewed the relationship between DKD and pyroptosis,and discussed the mechanism of action of TCM to inhibit pyroptosis and alleviate DKD,aiming to exploremore new ways to effectively treat DKD.
Zhuzishen(Panacis Majoris Rhizoma)is a new species in Chinese Pharmacopoeia,containing a variety of anticancer active ingredients and has good anti-tumor effects. Its anti-cancer ingredients mainly include pearl saponins of Zhuzishen(Panacis Majoris Rhizoma),Panax japonicus polysaccharide,deglucose chikusetsusaponin IV a,chikusetsusaponin IV a methyl ester,oleanolic acid,chikusetsusaponin V,chikusetsusaponin IV a,ginsenoside Rf,calenduloside E,taibaienoside Ⅳ,taibaienoside Ⅰ,panajaponol and oleanolic acid 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl-6'-O-n-butyl ester]. Anti-cancer spectrum mainly includes liver cancer,gastric cancer,breast cancer,colorectal cancer,prostate cancer,lung cancer,glioma of the brain,cervical cancer and other malignant tumor. Its anti-tumor mechanisms mainly include inhibition of proliferation,induction of apoptosis in tumor cells,interference with tumor cell cycle,improving the immune function of the body,inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and anti-tumor metastasis.
To study the consistency of the chemical and blood-entry components between Houpo Wenzhong Decoction(厚朴温中汤)and its dispensing granules,and to explore the applicability of the dispensing granules to replace the traditional decoction.
Lard and cold vinegar were used to create a ratmodel of deficiency-cold in spleen and stomach,and the drug efficacy was evaluated by biochemical indexes of rats in each administration group with ELISA kit. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS)was used to study the chemical components,blood-entry prototypes and metabolites of Houpo Wenzhong Decoction and its dispensing granules. Compositional identification and characterisation were performed based on retention time,precise relative molecular mass,secondary mass spectrometry cleavage fragments and controls. The consistency of the chemical and blood-entry components of Houpo Wenzhong Decoction and its dispensing granules was evaluated by combining PeakView,Maker View and Metabolite Pilot software for pattern recognition.
A supervised orthogonal partial least squares(OPLS-DA)method with a setting of VIP>2.5 was used to screen the two for 66 differentiated chemical components,14 differentiated blood-entry prototype components and 12 differentiated blood-entry metabolites.
From the biochemical indexes,there was no significant difference between Houpo Wenzhong Decoction and its dispensing granules. From the chemical constituents,flavonoids and lignans,such as hesperidin and sanguinarine,were largely different. After entering the blood,the difference among some of the constituents was significantly reduced,especially the difference among flavonoids,such as hesperidin and sanguinarine,which seemed to have a“flattening effect”after the components entering the blood.
With the continuous development of naturalmedicinal chemistry,natural products with good activity in plants are gradually attracting attention,butmost of them are restricted from further development due to their low content,etc. How to increase the content and ensure the quality of natural sources has become an urgent issue. Nobiletin is a natural polymethoxyflavonoid,mainly exists in Citrus aurantium,family Rutaceae,with awide range of biologicalactivities such as anti-tumor,anti-inflammatory,protection and improvement of the nervous system,etc. Ithas gradually become a hotspot for the development of new anti-tumor drugs for its broad spectrum anti-cancer effects againsta variety of cancer cells through multiple pathways. Through reviewing the literature,summarizing the research on nobiletin at home and abroad in recent years,and outlining the current status of research,this paper summed up the factors influencing the content of nobiletin and its antitumormechanism of action from different sources,origins,storage and concoction,and clarified the quality control methods of natural sources,aiming to provide new ideas for further research and development of nobiletin and new antitumor drugs.
To explore the clinical effect and safety of Qijia Lifei Capsule(芪甲利肺胶囊)combined with entecavir in the treatment of primary positive pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with hepatitis B.
A total of 102 patients with newly treated bacteriopositive pulmonary tuberculosis combined with hepatitis B(admitted from January 2022 to November 2022)were included in this study. According to the random number table method,they were divided into observation group and control group,with 51 patients in each group,including 1 patient felling out in the control group and 2 patients felling out in the observation group. The control group(50 cases)were given entecavir treatment. The observation group(49 cases)were treated with entecavir combined with Qijia Lifei Capsule,and the data of each group[efficacy,changes of TCM symptom scores(afternoon tidal fever,shortness of breath and low voice,night sweats and spontaneous sweating,phlegm,cough,etc.),changes of inflammatory response indexes and immune indexes,liver function indexes and incidence of liver function damage and improvement rate of quality of life]was observed.
Compared with that in the observation group,the total effective rate of the control group was lower(P<0.05). Before treatment,TCM syndrome scores(afternoon tidal fever,shortness of breath and low voice,night sweats and spontaneous sweating,phlegm,cough,etc.),the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),C-reactive protein(CRP),white blood cell count(WBC),immunoglobulin A/G/M(IgA/IgG/IgM),serum total bilirubin(TBiL),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and other liver function indexeswere not significant(P>0.05). After treatment,TCM syndrome scores(afternoon tidal fever,shortness of breath and low voice,nightsweats and spontaneous sweating,phlegm,cough,etc.),the levels of TNF-α,CRP,WBC,IgA/IgG/IgM,TBiL,AST,GGT,ALP,ALT and other indexes in observation group were better than those in the control group(P<0.05). Compared with that in the controlgroup,the incidence of liver function impairmentwas lower in the observation group after treatment,and the improvement rate of life quality was higher(P<0.05).
Qijia Lifei Capsule combined with entecavir has significant clinical effect in the treatment of primary bacteriopositive pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with hepatitis B,which can better improve the condition,immune function and quality of life of the patients to a certain extent and reduce the liver damage,and the treatment is safe and reliable.
To observe the clinical effect and safety of Hushi Yiwei Decoction(胡氏益胃汤)combined with acupuncture in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis.
A total of 104 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis(admitted from January 2021 to June 2023)were included for group study. The patients were randomly divided into control group(Furazolidone Tablets and Cisaprid Tablets)and traditional Chinese medicine group(Furazolidone Tablets and Cisaprid Tablets,Hushi Yiwei Decoction and acupuncture)by random number table method,and 52 cases in each group. During the study,3 cases fell off in the traditional Chinese medicine group and 1 case fell off in the control group. The effect,the changes of TCM syndrome scores(epigastric fullness,stomachache and distention)and gastroscopy indexes(degree of enterization,gastric mucosa characteristics and degree of gastric atrophy)before and after treatment,the levels of serum gastrointestinal hormone indexes(gastrin and somatostatin gastrin),the levels of serum inflammatory factors[interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-8(IL-8),tumour necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)],the positive rates of Helicobacter pylori(HP)before and after treatment,the levels of T lymphocytes(CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+)and adverse reactions were observed.
The treatment effect of the traditional Chinese medicine group was better than that of the control group(P<0.05). Before treatment,TCM syndrome scores(gastric epigastric fullness and acid belching,abdominal pain and distension),gastroscopy indexes(degree of enterization,gastric mucosa characteristics and degree of gastric atrophy),serum gastrointestinal hormone indexes(motilin,somatostatin and gastrin),serum inflammatory factor levels(IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-α),HP positive rate and immune function indexes(CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+)of all patients in each group were not significant(P>0.05). After treatment,TCM syndrome scores(gastric epigastric fullness,acid belching,abdominal pain and distention),gastroscopy indexes(degree of enterification,gastricmucosa characteristics and degree of gastric atrophy),gastrin levels,IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-αlevels,HP positive rate and CD8+ indexes were all decreased in both groups. The levels of motilin and somatostatin,CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were increased,and the increase and decrease of all indexes in the traditional Chinese medicine group after treatment were greater than those in the control group(P<0.05). The adverse reaction rate of traditional Chinese medicine group and control group was lower(P>0.05).
Hushi Yiwei Decoction combined with acupuncture therapy has significant clinical effect in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis,which can effectively relieve the symptoms,alleviate the condition and improve the gastrointestinal function and immune function of patients,reduce the positive rate of HP and the adverse reaction,and is safe and reliable.
To explore the effects of electroacupuncture therapy on intestinal flora and inflammatory immune function in ischemic stroke model rats.
According to random number table method,16 Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were divided into sham operation group,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)group,MCAO+electroacupuncture group and MCAO+electroacupuncture non-acupoint group. Left MCAO operation was conducted with wire occlusion method to prepare brain ischemia-reperfusion animalmodel. After the operation,the animal model was put into wood shavings and kept warm water to observe the changes. After 2 hours,the wire occlusion was slowly withdrawn,while only the arteries were separated and then sewed up in the sham operation group.24 hours aftermodeling,the MCAO+electroacupuncture group selected Shenting(DU24)and Baihui(DU20)and applied SDZ-V electroacupuncture instrument with density wave(1~20 Hz)once a day,for a total of 7 days. The sham operation group and the MCAO group were given the same feeding and grasping conditions with out any treatment. In the MCAO+electroacupuncture non-acupoint group,the hypocholic non-meridian and non-acupoint pointswere selected,and the electroacupuncture intervention was carried out24 hours aftermodeling for 14 days. The neural function of rats in each group was observed 24 h and 3,7 and 14 days after themodeling,and the change of brain water contentwas detected after the intervention for 14 days. After successfulmodeling,longamethod was used to score the neurological impairment. Morriswatermaze experiment evaluated the spatial learning and memory ability of rats. Western blotanalysiswas performed to detect the growth related proteins of ischemic penumbra neurons in each group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR)was used to detect the changes of intestinal flora in rat stool. The contents of interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and intercellular adhesionmolecule-1(ICAM-1)in serum and brain tissue were detected by double antibody sandwich ABC-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ABC-ELISA). The correlation between IL-1β,ICAM-1 and intestinal flora was analyzed.
The neurological function of the rats in each group was evaluated at 24 h and 3,7,14 d aftermodeling. The neurological function deficit score of the rats in the electroacupuncture group was lower than that in the MCAO group at the same period after cerebral ischemia reperfusion,and the acupoint group was significantly lower than that in the non-acupoint group(P<0.01). The improvement of nerve function in electroacupuncture group wasmore significant with the extension of intervention time. Compared with thatof the MCAO group,the escape latency ofMCAO+electroacupuncture group was significantly shortened(P<0.05),and the number of crossing platform in the MCAO+electroacupuncture group was increased(P<0.05). Compared with those of the MCAO group,the expressions of growth associated protein-43(GAP-43)and neurofilament-200(NF-200)increased(P<0.05),and the expressions of repulsive guidancemolecule a(RGMa)decreased(P<0.05)in the electroacupuncture group and non-acupoint group. The water content of brain tissue in electroacupuncture group decreased significantly(P<0.01). Compared with that of the MCAO group,the number of Escherichia coli and enterococcus in feces of the MCAO+electroacupuncture group decreased(P<0.05),while the number of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus increased(P<0.05). The levels of IL-1β and ICAM-1 in peripheral blood and brain tissue of ischemic stroke rats in the electroacupuncture group were decreased(P<0.05). IL-1βand ICAM-1 were negatively correlated with the number of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium,butpositively correlated with the number of Escherichia coliand enterococcus.
Electroacupuncture can regulate intestinal flora disturbance in ischemic stroke ratmodel,reduce inflammatory response through anti-inflammatory and maintenance of immune tolerancemechanism,and play a role in brain protection.
To observe the clinical effect of Maxing Shigan Decoction(麻杏石甘汤)combined with amoxicillin sodium and clavulanate potassium in the treatment of children with pulmonary infection and its influence on inflammation and other indicators.
A total of 85 children with pulmonary infection were included in the study,all of whom were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the hospital from December 2020 to February 2023,meeting the diagnosis of pulmonary infection. The children were divided into control group(42 cases)and observation group(43 cases)by random number table method,and the control group was treated with amoxicillin sodium and clavulanate potassium. The children in the observation group were treated with amoxicillin sodium clavulanate potassium combined with Maxing Shigan Decoction. During the treatment,1 case fell off in the control group and 2 cases fell off in the observation group. The data of children in each group was observed,including treatment effect,fever disappearance time,lung infection absorption time,cough relief time,heart rate respiratory recovery time and the time of disappearance of lung rales,the scores of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms(cough,asthma,expectoration,fever,irritability,etc.)changes before and after treatment,changes of inflammatory factor indicators and lung function indicators,changes of oxygenation index and lung infection score,length of hospital stay and adverse reactions.
The treatmenteffectof the observation group was better than that of control group(P<0.05). Compared with those of the control group,the disappearance time of fever,absorption time of pulmonary infection,cough relief time,heart rate and respiration recovery time and the disappearance time of lung rales in observation group were shorter(P<0.05). The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin 6(IL-6),interleukin 8(IL-8)and other inflammatory markers,the scores of TCM symptoms(cough,asthma,phlegm,fever,irritability,etc.)in each group before treatment,forced vital capacity,FVC,forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1)and other pulmonary function indexes,oxygenation index and pulmonary infection score were not significant(P>0.05). After treatment,the scores of TCM symptoms(cough,asthma,sputum,fever,irritability,etc.),inflammatory factor indexes(TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8),pulmonary function indexes(FVC,FEV1),oxygenation index,pulmonary infection score and other indexes were improved in both groups. Those in the observation group were all better than those in the control group after treatment(P<0.05). The hospitalization time of the observation group was shorter than that of the control group and the hospitalization cost was less than that of control group(P<0.05). The adverse reaction rate was lower in both groups(P>0.05).
The therapeutic effect of Maxing Shigan Decoction combined with amoxicillin sodium and clavulanate potassium in the treatment of children with pulmonary infection is accurate. The symptoms of children are improved,with fast recovery and improved lung function. There are fess adverse reactions. The treatment is safe and reliable,and it is worthy of application.